Skipper Keshav Maharaj returned figures of 1-19 on his Twenty20 international debut as South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first match on Friday.
Aiden Markam hit 48 to guide Sri Lanka to 163-5, a total their bowlers defended by restricting Sri Lanka to 135-6 and lead the three-match series 1-0 in Colombo.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal hit an unbeaten 66 - his career-best T20 knock - but the rest of the batting faltered against a disciplined bowling attack.
The second T20 is on Sunday at the same venue.
Sri Lanka v South Africa 1st T20 scoreboard
Scoreboard of the first Twenty20 international between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo on Friday:
South Africa
Q. de Kock c Asalanka b Hasaranga 36
R. Hendricks c Theekshana b Hasaranga 38
A. Markram c Chameera b Shanaka 48
H. Klaasen lbw b Theekshana 2
D. Miller c Fernando b Chameera 26
D. Pretorius not out 10
K. Rabada not out 0
Extras (w3) 3
TOTAL (5 wickets, 20 overs) 163
Fall of wickets: 1-73 (de Kock), 2-79 (Hendricks), 3-87 (Klaasen), 4-152 (Markram), 5-156 (Miller)
Did to bat: K. Maharaj, B. Fortuin, A. Nortje, T. Shamsi
Bowling: Chameera 4-0-35-1 (w1), De Silva 2-0-12-0,Theekshana 4-0-35-1, Dananjaya 3-0-28-0 (w1), Hasaranga 4-0-23-2, Karunaratne 2-0-24-0 (w1), Shanaka 1-0-6-1
Sri Lanka (target 164)
A. Fernando run out (Nortje) 11
D. Chandimal not out 66
B. Rajapaksa lbw b Maharaj 0
C. Asalanka c Pretorius b Shamsi 6
D. Shanaka b Fortuin 16
W. Hasaranga c Hendricks b Pretorius 0
D. de Silva b Nortje 1
C. Karunaratne not out 22
Extras (lb1, w12) 13
Total (6 wickets, 20 overs) 135
Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Fernando), 2-34 (Rajapaksa), 3-68 (Aslanka), 4-95 (Shanaka), 5-102 (Hasaranga), 6-104 (De Silva)
Did not bat: D. Chameera, M. Theekshana, A. Dananjaya
Bowling: Fortuin 4-0-24-1, Nortje 4-0-29-1 (w6), Rabada 3-0-21-0, Maharaj 4-0-19-1 (w5), Shamsi 2-0-20-1, Pretorius 3-0-21-1 (w1)
Toss: South Africa
Result: South Africa won by 28 runs
Series: South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Prageeth Rambukwella (SRI)
TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)