Michael Cheika’s Wallabies will face Warren Gatland’s men in Pool D at the tournament in Japan with their meeting coming at Tokyo Stadium on 29 September.
To prepare for the Far East Australia are competing alongside the southern hemisphere’s best sides in the annual and traditional Rugby Championship.
Australia’s opener with the Springboks didn’t go to plan in Johannesburg, though.
Cheika’s side were the superior side for most of the opening 40 minutes, but too many unforced errors left them trailing 14-10 at the break.
In the second half South Africa only pulled further clear.
Australian tries came from fly-half Bernard Foley and Dane Haylett-Petty. Wing Haylett-Petty also botched a second score in a horror moment with the try line gaping.
For South Africa 23-year-old scrum-half Herschel Jantjies – who made a cameo appearance for the Scarlets when they played the Cheetahs in the2017-18 season – scored two tries on debut to help his team record a bonus-point success.
The Springboks scored further tries through the lock Lood De Jager, wing Sbu Nkosi, and replacement scrum-half Cobus Reinach.
“We created a lot of good opportunities and gave a couple away as well,” said Australia head coach Cheika.
“We did a lot of things that we have been preparing. We scored two tries and I was happy with a lot of things we have been working on.
“We showed a lot of good signs. It was the first time we have put some of these things on the field. It will build as the season goes on.”
Wales ended a run of 13 straight defeats to Australia which dated back to 2008 with a 9-6 win over the Wallabies in Cardiff in November 2018.
