Hashim Amla said South Africa are team in transition and that the Bangladesh tour has been the first time the world got to see the next generation, who will face formidable challenges in the coming season in India and then at home against New Zealand and England.
He is in charge of a Test team that lost Jacques Kallis to retirement in December 2013. A few months later, their inspirational captain Graeme Smith called time on his career and earlier this year, Alviro Petersen joined them.
That means, collectively, 319 Test caps have now left the team and the Chittagong Test was the first new era, led by Amla. He had a happy start to his captaincy last year, winning 1-0 in Sri Lanka. It was only their second series win in the country since playing there for the first time in 1993.
"I have inherited a very well-polished Test team that has been doing well," Amla told ESPNcricinfo. "Last year we managed to put in some good performances, notably Sri Lanka which is a difficult place to play. But we did exceptionally well. I think we exceeded expectations especially after losing Smith and Kallis."
South Africa have four uncapped players In their current Test squad - Dane Vilas, Kagiso Rabada, Aaron Phangiso and Reeza Hendricks - while the likes of Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl and Simon Harmer have played only of 31 matches between them. Amla believes that the goal is to ensure these newcomers are settled in the squad by the time he or any of the other experienced players are set to leave the scene.
"I think on this tour you are seeing for the first time the real effects of having lost three big guys - Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Alviro Petersen. Now when you look at our Test team you see a lot of new faces," Amla said
"Many people around the world will probably put the TV on and say Simon Harmer, who is that? Dean Elger, he's played a couple of games; Stiaan van Zyl, who's that? Temba Bavuma, who's that? It is a very, very new team and in Test cricket when you have new faces it is actually a big change. It is not as big a change in one-day cricket and T20s.
"Since we had such a settled Test team over the last 8-9 years, we are now in a bit of a transition phase. The challenge for us is to try and maintain winning performances and nurture these guys so that when we leave, they can keep going."
Amla is among the top-five run-scorers in South African Test history, and he is among the best No. 3 batsmen in the world. But he said he still has a lot to give for his team: "If there's any value I would like to add as a captain, I would like to add it. I certainly wouldn't like to leave South Africa cricket with a feeling in my heart that I have not given all that I have to offer.
"And I don't know what I have to offer. As the years progress probably, it will become clearer to me and the team and hopefully we have a successful tenure from now on until I finish."