The Proteas completed their white-ball tour of India in Delhi on Tuesday, going down by 7 wickets in the third ODI after being rolled for just 99 batting first.
It means they lose the ODI series 2-1 having lost the T20 series by the same margin. More importantly, South Africa only collected 10 ICC World Cup Super League points from a possible 30, and they now face the very real possibility of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2023 50-over showpiece in India.
There were certainly positive moments and suggestions that, on their day, the Proteas are a side capable of knocking over anybody.
Consistency, however, remains a concern in both the T20 and ODI formats with the bat, particularly, and ball. Attention will now swiftly turn to the T20 World Cup in Australia where the Proteas, led by Temba Bavuma, enter as dark horses.