The tournament makes its debut on both schedules with a first time title sponsor and at a new venue in Pecanwood Country Club west of Pretoria, in the north of the country.

It brings to four the number of events co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour in South Africa.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Inaugural Event.

COURSE: Pecanwood Country Club is a Jack Nicklaus design opened in 1996 as part of a housing development.

While it has hosted events on the developmental Big Easy Tour, this will be the first time it is tested by a field of this calibre.

While wide fairways are often noted in reviews so, too, are the number and severity of bunkers and the tricky putting surfaces.

RIGHT: Bernd Wiesberger headlines the field in South Africa this week and will be keen to take another DP World Tour win. PHOTO: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

Water is plentiful, though will be mostly out of play for this field barring a truly awful shot.

The long par-3 17th and heavily bunkered par-4 18th should give the players plenty to think about at the end of their round, but scoring will likely be low on what is essentially a members course.

PRIZEMONEY: EUR$1,500,000

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Tour’s biggest stars are obviously in Florida competing for the US$20,000,000 Players purse so this week presents a great opportunity for some of the lesser lights to shine.

Bernd Wiesberger headlines the field alongside former Ryder Cup player Chris Wood but there is no shortage of emerging talent, particularly among the locals.

The Sunshine Tour boasts great depth and while many of the names will be unfamiliar beyond their borders there are some highly talented players among their number.

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There are also more players like Dean Burmester and Daniel van Tonder who will like their chances this week as will big hitting Wilco Nienaber.

Nienaber leads the driving distance category on the DP World Tour and will find himself hitting a lot of wedges at Pecanwood.

Jason Scrivener, Scott Hend and Maverick Antcliff will fly the flag for Australia with Scrivener the best performed of the three this season.

Both he and Antcliff come off lengthy breaks having not played since the Middle East swing but in a field of this strength both are legitimate contenders.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Scott Hend, Jason Scrivener and Maverick Antcliff.