The Blitzboks scored a try on the last play of the game to beat six-man Australia in a thrilling play-off for Olympic bronze on Saturday.
Tries from Selvin Davis and Shaun Williams and two goals from forward Zane Davis helped the Blitzboks to a 26-19 win in the bronze medal play-off in Paris.
South Africa, who qualified for the Olympics after a poor performance in the Sevens series and a consolation play-off, won their second bronze medal, equalling their 2016 performance.
Meanwhile, France beat two-time Olympic champions Fiji to win gold, with Antoine Dupont coming on as a substitute and scoring two tries and providing another assist as they won 28-7.
The Springbok Sevens had to take the hard route, ending the first half 7-5 down and despite playing with a numerical advantage, Australia were able to get back into the game.
Selvin Davids put the Blitzboks on the board just before the break, and it looked as if South Africa were headed for a comfortable win when Zane Davids quickly netted two goals while Australia had Nick Malouf sent off for a dangerous tackle.
But Australia quickly scored two tries to level the score at 19-19 and seal a thrilling finish to the match.
The key point was that the Blitzboks had control of the attack from the kick-off, with Selvin Davids using his speed to beat his opponent on the outside and run quickly to pass the ball across the try line to Williams.
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
