Paul Treu, the Springbok Sevens coach, attributed his team's first IRB Sevens Series title in France to a steadfast selection policy based on consistency.
Gio Aplon helped fire South Africa to a 33-12 win over Samoa in a one-sided final of the Paris leg of the IRB Sevens Series here on Sunday.
Treu described the triumph as a fantasic achievement.
"We've managed to reach each semi-final and were desperately unlucky to lose in extra-time against Fidji in our only previous final of the series. I always told the the boys it would only be a matter of time before we would pull it off.
"The guys stuck to the game plan and made the extra tackles when it really matters. The win is a massive relief but also just reward for all the hard work done by everyone this season. We have a settled squad now thanks to our consistency in selection and I am loking forward to the next tournament in London," said Treu.
Aplon scored one try and created another as Samoa - 29-21 winners over South Africa in the pool stages - flagged badly in the match and were unable to get their dangerman Timoteo Iosua, scorer of 12 tries in the five games leading up to the final, into any space.
With barely a minute gone, Aplon had taken a pass and feed from Ryno Benjamin that saw the youngster sprint in for a converted try.
Samoa hit back through Simaika Mikaele who jinked past Super 14 winger Danwell Demas for a try under the posts.
Benjamin got his second after Demas did well to draw the drifting defence but the rest of the first half was a scrappy affair with no side able to capitalise on the other's numerous mistakes.
Boks' coach Paul Treu said before the tournament he was concerned about his side's potential lack of physicality, but that was not in evidence as they nullified the finishing prowess of Iosua.
Aplon scored three minutes into the second-half, scooting from a ruck past some flagging Samoan defence at the Stade Charlety, and the impressive Demas stretched the lead to 28-7 with a looping run untouched to the line.
Mikaele scored a late consolation try for Samoa but South Africa immediately hit back with a length-of-the-pitch effort from Paul Delport on the stroke of full-time.
The Plate competition, for teams knocked out in the Cup quarter-finals, featured Argentina and the three Commonwealth Games medallists in New Zealand, England and Fiji, the latter also the current IRB Series leaders.
Fiji player-coach Waisale Serevi was left ruing his omission of the brilliant youngster William Ryder for disciplinary reasons, as his side lacked a consistent game-breaker and wasted possession.
They did, however, manage to outgun Argentina 31-12 in the final, with tries from Sireli Naqelevuki (2), Filimoni Bolavucu, Semisi Saukawa and Neumi Nanuku cancelling out those from Pumas duo Felipe Gutierrez and Ramiro del Busto.
Fiji's comparatively poor showing in only winning the Plate and eight points was saved by the dismal display of second-placed England, who were knocked out of the Cup by Australia and Plate by Argentina at the semi-final stages.
England, however, could theoretically haul back the Pacific islanders but Fiji's destiny remains in their own hands with just one leg of the eight-tournament competition left, in London next weekend.
In the Bowl final, Italy ran out of steam to go down 31-7 to Kenya while Scotland blanked Germany 40-0 in the Shield final.