Hosted by Gary Player, the tournament is widely acknowledged as a difficult and demanding course.
Tommy Fleetwood goes into the penultimate event of the European Tour with a 134,839 point advantage.
Justin Rose, who won two weeks on the trot at the World Golf Championship in Shanghai and the Turkish Open, will not be competing.
Should Fleetwood win in South Africa, it would give him an unassailable lead going into the final event of the season – the World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Although he hasn’t posted a sub-70 opening round since winning the Open de France in July, the 26-year-old is eager to get off to a quick as he chases a third victory of the season.
“I’d like to start tournaments off a little bit quicker,” Fleetwood said.
“The last couple I have played okay on Thursdays and not scored very well and then you’re behind the eight ball.
“I’d like to get off to a good start but if you don’t, keep going and keep your head down.
“Aside from everything else that is going on, it’s one of those tournaments that you’d love to win – I’d love to have my name on that path walking up the ninth hole (at the Gary Player Country Club).”
Fleetwood admits he needs to improve his birdie conversion rate, adding: “It’s still kind of in my hands. I’ve got to keep concentrating on what I’m doing and I played nice last week.
“I went the last two rounds without a bogey but I didn’t convert many of my birdie chances.
“I’d like to win the tournament and it’s at that stage where every shot counts.”