England's emerging side will walk away from South Africa with a Test series win, says Sir Ian Botham.
Alastair Cook's team fly out on Thursday ahead of the opening Test, which begins on Boxing Day, aiming to improve on the 1-1 draw earned when the teams last met in South Africa, in 2009.
Cook, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are the only surviving members of that tour to be part of the current 16-man squad and Botham - in Cape Town ahead of his latest charity walk - says that inexperience will help, not hinder the tourists.
"I think England's advantage is that practically none of these guys have played here in the Test arena so they'll come here with no baggage," said Botham. "They are a side that is used to winning. They've had one hiccup in the UAE but many sides have a hiccup over there.
"South Africa are coming off the back of a 3-0 hammering from India. There are a few older players in their side and they've lost some magnificent players in recent years - Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock to name four.
"England are a young, emerging side; I see South Africa as a tiring side - a little bit like the Australians we played this summer - and I think England will win. If you want to be the best side in the world, which England obviously want to be, then you've got to win at home and away. This is a great place to start.
"They've got a real opportunity to win. Four years ago, South Africa were probably unbeatable, now they can be beaten."
On Friday, Sky Sports commentator Botham will begin an eight-day walk around South Africa to raise money for four charities - Nazareth House Cape Town, The Chipembere Rhino Foundation, the Waitrose Foundation in South Africa and the Kliptown Youth Program.
The former England all-rounder, who stepped up his training on England's tour of the UAE, will cover a total of 110 miles, 30 years after he completed his first walk from John O'Groats to Lands End in 1985.
For more information on Beefy's fund-raising effort simply visit: www.beefywalkingtherainbownation.com