FOR any Test team that travels to the subcontinent, a series victory is a highlight that very few other achievements could ever match.
When an inexperienced Test team, one without its captain, who is also the most experienced player in the side, wins a series in the subcontinent, the achievement becomes even more special.
That is essentially what the young Proteas Test team achieved in Bangladesh over the last two weeks as they swept the hosts 2-0 in their own conditions.
Some of the Test newbies, your Tony de Zorzi, Kyle Verreynne, Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder travelled to Asia for the first time and came back as fully-fledged Test players who have earned the respect of every nation all around the world with centuries in some of the toughest conditions to bat on in the world.
Seasoned campaigners such as Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj simply reminded the world of their class as they picked up five-wicket hauls with relative ease in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Their coach, Shukri Conrad, says that the series victory is an achievement that has already given the young team belief and confidence in their capabilities.
Conrad also emphasised the perfect timing of the series victory as they head into what could be the most important home summer where South Africa will host Sri Lanka and Pakistan for four Tests which will decide the team's fate in the World Test Championship.
"The belief that it (the Bangladesh series victory) instils in this group, how we went about our business and the growth that you see within them on a daily basis," Conrad told the media on Friday.
"On so many levels, it was a special win and so important for this group, especially with what lies ahead over the next couple of months which makes it even more exciting."
With the series victory, South Africa marked an end to a decade-long period without a series victory in the subcontinent.
Also, given that New Zealand has an unassailable 2-0 lead over India in India in the ongoing three-match series, the Proteas series victory marked what could be an to the Asian team's dominance at home.
Conrad believes that teams that tour the subcontinent are now better prepared for the task which is the key to the recent success in Asia.
"The teams going there are better prepared, I think. The subcontinent teams are probably not as good in their conditions as they probably once were on the back of the opposition not being that good," he said.
"If you look at the results that New Zealand are achieving in India, England had a win in Pakistan and Pakistan came back and won that series.
"I just think that teams go there better prepared and they are less fearful of the subcontinent because they have found different ways of skinning this cat either through a power game or through upskilling.
"Guys don't come here anymore with a defensive mindset, they actually look at scoring options rather than trusting your defence.“