The Springbok Sevens' Hong Kong curse continued when they were beaten 14-7 in the Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
South Africa, who have never won the tournament, struggled without captain Kyle Brown, who was concussed on day one, and Cecil Afrika, who limped off on day two.
They made far too many mistakes in their quarter-final, which was decided by Jack Clifford's second half try.
The defeat relegated the Blitzboks to the Plate section of the tournament, which they won by beating Wales 19-14 in the final.
New Zealand beat England 26-7 in the Cup final to return to the top of the World Series standings. They have 136 log points and South Africa 129, with two tournaments remaining (Glasgow and London).
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