Siya Kolisi will return from injury to captain South Africa in their World Cup warm-up game against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday (15:15 BST).
Kolisi, who led the Springboks to World Cup victory in 2019, has not played since April because of a knee injury.
But the flanker, 32, starts against Wales in South Africa’s penultimate preparation game ahead of this year’s tournament.
Ox Nche and Jaden Hendrikse also return to action.
“We have two Tests left before we begin our Rugby World Cup campaign and our focus now is to start building momentum and continuity so that we can peak at the right time for our opening game against Scotland in just under four weeks,” said South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber.
Kolisi and prop Nche – who is among the replacements – are set for their first Test appearances of the year after recovering from injury, while scrum-half Hendrikse is back after a family bereavement.
Kolisi needed surgery after suffering knee ligament damage when playing for Sharks against Munster in the United Rugby Championship.
“Siya and Ox have been working extremely hard on their rehabilitation over the course of several weeks, and it’s fantastic that everything worked out according to plan to allow us to select them for this match,” added Nienaber.
South Africa make 11 changes to the side which beat Argentina 24-13 in Buenos Aires on 5 August.
They also overcame the Argentinians along with Australia in this summer’s Rugby Championship, but finished second in the shortened tournament having lost to New Zealand.
Nienaber’s team play their final game before the World Cup in France against the All Blacks at Twickenham on Friday, 25 August.
South Africa, to face Wales in Cardiff: W le Roux; C Moodie, J Kriel, D de Allende, C Kolbe; M Libbok, J Hendrikse; S Kitshoff, M Marx, F Malherbe, J Kleyn, RG Snyman, S Kolisi, P-S du Toit, J Wiese.
Replacements: B Mbonambi, O Nche, V Koch, F Mostert, M van Staden, D Vermeulen, G Williams, D Willemse.
