England's bowlers limited South Africa to 220-8 in the fourth one-day international at Lords on Sunday.
Spinner James Tredwell atoned for dropping two catches by claiming 3-35, while medium pacer Ravi Bopara took 2-34.
Wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter got three stumpings and two catches as the Proteas slumped from 100-1 to 174-6, before late resistance from Robin Peterson, who hit 31 not out from 20 balls.
Hashim Amla survived an early scare to finish as the tourists' top scorer with 45, while captain AB de Villiers made 39.
England won the toss and chose to bowl in overcast, damp conditions.
Amla was dropped - for the sixth time this summer - when James Tredwell put down a slip catch off Steven Finn with the batsman on 4. Amla smashed 150 after being dropped twice in the second ODI and made scores of 311 not out and 121 after being put down three times in the recent test series with England, which South Africa won.
Amla had moved to 13 when he was hit on the knee roll by Finn and England wasted its referral as the ball would have missed the stumps. The hosts paid the price in the 11th over, when replays showed Bopara had Graeme Smith plumb lbw but he was unable to refer the not out decision.
Smith was on 26 when he slashed Finn and was dropped by Tredwell at first slip, who may have been distracted by Kieswetter's dive.
Amla hit the first six of the match when he smashed Jade Dernbach back over his head, but England belatedly broke though in the 20th over when Smith tried to pull Dernbach and was caught behind for 29.
Bopara then bowled Amla and Tredwell deceived JP Duminy, who charged down the pitch and was stumped for 18.
Faf du Plessis made just 1 when he played on to Bopara and de Villiers tried to accelerate, but was beaten in the flight by Tredwell and stumped for 39.
Tredwell and Kieswetter removed Wayne Parnell in almost identical fashion for 5 but the hosts' indifferent fielding continued when James Anderson missed the chance to run out Peterson in the same 44th over.
Peterson responded by switch-hitting Tredwell for six and his seventh-wicket stand of 40 with Dean Elgar pushed South Africa to a respectable total, before Elgar was caught behind off Finn's slower ball in the penultimate over for 35.
Ryan McLaren (1) fell to Finn's next delivery. Having survived a strong lbw shout McLaren scrambled a single but was run out by a direct hit from Dernbach as he chased a second.
The five-match series is tied 1-1.
AP