Goals from Linda Motlhalo and Jermaine Seoposenwe inside the opening 35 minutes gave Banyana Banyana the result they needed to assert their status as title contenders in the expanded 12-team competition.
Desiree Ellis’ side looked composed from the outset and took the lead on 28 minutes after a VAR review confirmed a penalty for a foul on Noxolo Cesane.
Motlhalo stepped up and slotted home coolly to the bottom right corner, giving South Africa the advantage their early pressure deserved.
Moments later, they struck again. Full-back Lebohang Ramalepe surged forward and threaded a clever pass into the path of Seoposenwe, who calmly finished low into the far corner to double the lead.
Ghana, making their return to WAFCON after missing the last edition, struggled to match the pace and organisation of their more experienced opponents.
While they grew into the contest in the second half, they were wasteful in front of goal, with both Evelyn Badu and Alice Kusi hitting the crossbar.
Despite several promising spells of pressure after the break, the Black Queens were repeatedly denied by South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, who made key saves to preserve the clean sheet.
South Africa managed the game well in the closing stages, introducing fresh legs through Hildah Magaia and Ronnel Donnelly to control possession and absorb Ghana’s late push.
The result extends Banyana Banyana’s impressive record in opening WAFCON matches, having now won their last three tournament openers, including previous wins over Nigeria in 2018 and 2022.
Ghana, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly if they are to progress from a tricky Group C that also includes DR Congo and debutants Burkina Faso.
