The Proteas have been named Team of the Year at the 2013 South African Sports Awards function at Sun City.
Vice-captain AB de Villiers accepted the award on behalf of the Proteas, who are preparing for the upcoming Pakistan tour.
Cricket South Africa congratulated the Proteas Test squad on winning the prestigious award.
"This is a very well deserved honour which the Proteas can be proud of," said CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.
"The fact that they clinched the World No 1 Test ranking by winning away Test series against England and Australia is some feat. They are now well placed at the top of the table and I am sure all South Africans are looking forward to seeing them play at home this summer," he said.
"We are extremely proud of our team who last lost a Test series in 2009 and have been unbeaten in away series since 2006. In addition, we have the number one and number two ranked batsmen and bowlers on the ICC rankings respectively in AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander," Lorgat added.
Lorgat also lauded Jacques Kallis as statistically the greatest all-rounder of all time and Graeme Smith as one of the most successful captains of all time for their role in the Proteas' accolade.
Indian origin Hajera Kajee joined four other veteran sportsmen and administrators in receiving the Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award, named after South Africa's first democratically-elected Minister of Sport and Recreation.
Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
