Defending champion Charl Schwartzel again looked the man to beat in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club.
Former Masters Tournament champion Schwartzel won the tournament for the second time last year by an amazing 12 shots, a week after he won the Thailand Open by 11 strokes.
And although such a winning margin looked unlikely this time round, the 29 year old appeared in ominous form as the third round progressed.
Schwartzel started the day in a share of the lead with Denmark's Morten Ørum Madsen, a player he lost out to in a final-round battle for the South African Open Championship last week.
But while Madsen got off to a disappointing start with bogeys at the first two holes, Schwartzel birdied the par five second and then made a potentially decisive move around the turn.
A superb approach to the eighth left the South African with a tap-in birdie and another followed from six feet on the ninth to be out in 32.
Further birdies on the 12th and 13th took Schwartzel to 13 under par and a two shot lead over France's Victor Riu, who was six under for his round with two holes remaining.
England's Richard Finch was a shot further back on ten under, the same mark he had reached in the second round before finishing bogey, bogey, double-bogey.
