South African cricket returned to the international fold in 1991 after the long apartheid-era ban, and since then the Proteas have appointed a series of national coaches who helped rebuild the side into a global force. The first post-isolation coach was Mike Procter in 1991; since then South Africa have had a mix of home-grown and overseas coaches, interim appointments and split roles (red-ball vs white-ball).
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List of South Africa national Cricket team coaches: Full list 1991 – 2025
| No. | Coach | Stint | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Procter | 1991 – 1994 | South Africa |
| 2 | Bob Woolmer | 1994 – 1999 | England |
| 3 | Graham Ford | 1999 – 2002 | South Africa |
| 4 | Eric Simons | 2002 – 2004 | South Africa |
| 5 | Ray Jennings | 2004 – 2005 | South Africa |
| 6 | Mickey Arthur | 2005 – 2010 | South Africa |
| 7 | Corrie van Zyl | 2010 – 2011 (interim) | South Africa |
| 8 | Gary Kirsten | 2011 – 2013 | South Africa |
| 9 | Russell Domingo | 2013 – 2017 | South Africa |
| 10 | Ottis Gibson | 2017 – 2019 | Barbados/West Indies |
| 11 | Enoch Nkwe | 2019 (interim team director) | South Africa |
| 12 | Mark Boucher | 2019 – 2022 | South Africa |
| 13 | Malibongwe Maketa | 2022 (interim) | South Africa |
| 14 | Shukri Conrad | 2023 – 2025 (Test); appointed all-format head coach 2025 – 2027 | South Africa |
| 15 | Rob Walter | 2023 – Apr 2025 (ODI/T20 coach) | South Africa |
(Sources for the chronology above include Cricket South Africa and compiled reporting on each appointment.)
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Mike Procter (1991 – 1994)
Mike Procter, one of South Africa’s finest all-rounders, became the first post-isolation national coach when the Proteas rejoined international cricket in 1991. Procter helped establish South Africa’s early post-ban structures and led the side into its first modern World Cup in 1992. He brought domestic experience and authority to a team rebuilding its international identity.
Bob Woolmer (1994 – 1999)
Bob Woolmer (England) took over in 1994 and is widely credited with professionalising many aspects of Proteas one-day preparation; under him South Africa won the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy (the country’s first major ICC title) and became one of the leading ODI sides of the 1990s. Woolmer’s era also included a high ODI winning percentage and raised South Africa’s global profile.
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Graham Ford (1999 – 2002)
Graham Ford (South Africa) succeeded Woolmer and continued a period of strong series returns for the Proteas. A respected domestic coach turned national boss, Ford led South Africa through several successful bilateral series before his tenure ended in 2002.
Eric Simons (2002 – 2004)
Eric Simons, a former all-rounder who had coached Western Province, was appointed national coach in 2002. Simons’ spell included mixed results and ended in 2004, at which point Ray Jennings was brought in as caretaker.
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Ray Jennings (2004 – 2005)
Ray Jennings served as caretaker/interim coach (2004 – 05). Jennings, who had coached South Africa A and domestic sides, led the team through the immediate period after Simons’ resignation before a longer-term appointment was made.
Mickey Arthur (2005 – 2010)
Mickey Arthur’s appointment in 2005 began a notable five-year spell. Arthur modernised preparation and led South Africa to important Test and ODI wins (including the first Test series win in Australia for a South African side under certain conditions), and at times the team reached No.1 in limited-overs rankings. He resigned in early 2010 amid differences with CSA.
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Corrie van Zyl (2010 – 2011, interim)
Corrie van Zyl stepped in as interim coach (2010 – 11) after Mickey Arthur’s departure and took the side through a busy period that included the 2011 World Cup; he remained in charge until a permanent appointment was made.
Gary Kirsten (2011 – 2013)
Gary Kirsten (former South African opener) returned home to coach the Proteas in 2011 after his highly successful stint with India. Kirsten’s tenure saw South Africa climb in Test rankings and stabilise across formats; he left in 2013 after his agreed term.
Russell Domingo (2013 – 2017)
Russell Domingo (appointed initially as T20 coach in 2012, then full-time head coach in 2013) became South Africa’s head coach and was the first coach of colour to hold the permanent post. Domingo presided over a largely consistent Proteas side across formats before leaving in 2017.
Ottis Gibson (2017 – 2019)
Ottis Gibson (Barbados/West Indies) was appointed with a brief to lead South Africa into the 2019 World Cup. Gibson’s first results were strong, but his tenure was shaped by broader transformation challenges and player availability issues; he stepped down after the World Cup cycle.
Enoch Nkwe (2019 interim team director / assistant roles)
Enoch Nkwe served as interim team director in 2019 during a period of administrative change and later as assistant coach; he has since held senior roles in the CSA high-performance setup and became CSA’s Director of Cricket in 2022. Nkwe’s short-term national duties were important during the transitional 2019 period.
Mark Boucher (2019 – 2022)
Mark Boucher, a legendary Proteas wicketkeeper, was appointed head coach in December 2019. His tenure included strong Test performances but was also marked by off-field controversy and ultimately he announced his departure in 2022 to pursue other opportunities.
Malibongwe Maketa (2022, interim)
Malibongwe Maketa was named interim head coach for the Australia Test tour (late 2022) after Boucher’s exit; Maketa has been a respected coach within South African domestic circles and stepped in to lead the team for that assignment.
Rob Walter (2023 – April 2025 limited-overs coach)
Rob Walter was appointed in early 2023 as South Africa’s white-ball (ODI/T20) head coach while Shukri Conrad took charge of Tests. Walter led the side to deep ICC limited-overs runs (including a T20 World Cup final appearance) but resigned for personal reasons effective April 2025.
Shukri Conrad (2023 Test coach; appointed all-format head coach 2025 – 2027)
Shukri Conrad was appointed Test coach in January 2023 and after Rob Walter’s April 2025 resignation was named South Africa’s all-format head coach in May 2025, with a contract through the 2027 ODI World Cup. Under Conrad the Proteas won the 2025 World Test Championship final, a landmark win for South African Test cricket.
