Hansie Cronje was South Africa's captain in 2000 and Sachin Tendulkar led India the last time South Africa won a Test series in India.
On Wednesday, some 25 years later, South Africa clinched its second Test series win in India in that span by beating the hosts by 408 runs.
An amazing outfield catch taken by Marco Jansen sealed South Africa's victory, with the South African all-rounder running back toward the boundary and clutching the ball one-handed.
World Test Championship winner South Africa had won the opening Test at Kolkata by 30 runs.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 6-37 and India crashed to be 140 all out in its second innings, losing the two-match series 2-0.
In 2000, the Cronje-led South Africans also clinched a 2-0 win. The Proteas won Tests in Mumbai and Bengaluru against the Tendulkar-led India.
Since then, South Africa had managed to win only two of 13 Tests in India before overturning that record in Kolkata and Guwahati this year.
"It is a massive win. This is what we keep working towards, keep dreaming of," South African captain Temba Bavuma said.
"It is not every day that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win. Some of us have been on the other side of this result, and I think that's what makes it sweeter."
South Africa had set an improbable 549 runs for victory, after it scored 489 and 5-260.
India, coached by the under-fire Gautam Gambhir, had folded for 201 runs in its first innings, conceding a 288-run lead.
It was India's biggest Test defeat by runs -- its previous highest margin of defeat (by runs) was 342 against Australia in 2004 at Nagpur. Overall, India has lost five of its past seven home Tests -- a first in 66 years.
Its two wins came against West Indies last month.
"It's a little disappointing and as a team we need to get better. You have to credit the opposition for playing better cricket than us," Indian captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant said.
"They dominated the series. You cannot take things for granted playing at home."
It was a second home loss for India in consecutive seasons. New Zealand won 3-0 in October 2024, raising a serious question about India's transitional phase in the red-ball format.
Harmer finished with 17 wickets in the two Tests, scripting a historic win for the Proteas. It was a first five-wicket haul on Indian soil for the off-spinner -- he had previously had four four-wicket hauls here.
Harmer was named player of the series.
"(We) beat a very good Indian team," Harmer said. "It is nice to get a five-for in India. They put up a good fight and would bat for their lives. But we put the ball in the right areas."
Aiden Markram supported him with nine catches in the match -- the most ever for a fielder in a single Test in history.
Ravindra Jadeja top-scored for India with 54 off 87 balls, including four fours and two sixes, even as the hosts missed skipper Shubman Gill. He suffered a neck injury in Kolkata and missed the second Test.
Bavuma, meanwhile, has won 11 out of 12 Tests for South Africa as skipper, including the World Test Championship final in June.
Jansen was named player of the match for scoring 93 in the first innings and taking six wickets for 48 runs.