Johannesberg: England will tour South Africa for a four-test series in late 2015 and early 2016.
The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa announced the schedule Monday for a tour that will also include five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games.
The tests will be in Durban from Dec. 26-30, Cape Town from Jan. 2-6, Johannesburg from Jan. 14-18 and Centurion from Jan. 22-26. The limited-overs matches are in February at the end of England's two-month tour.
South Africa is currently top-ranked in tests and No. 2 in ODIs.
ECB managing director Paul Downton said: "it will be a real challenge which our emerging team will relish."
Despite South Africa's success in the five-day format, it hasn't played a four-test series since England's last visit in 2009-10 when the teams drew 1-1.