After South Africa thumped Pakistan in the Test series 3-0 and then the tourists bounced back to win the only Twenty20 international, it was the Proteas back to their winning ways to open the five-match one-day series despite the absence of Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and elected to field first believing his team had a better chance of chasing down South Africa's score rather than setting up a total themselves.
However, once South Africa made 4-315 from its 50 overs it was always an unlikely run chase and Pakistan was never in the hunt eventually being bowled out for just 190 in only 36.2 overs.
South Africa's experienced opening pair of Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla got the Proteas off to a solid opening with a 72-run stand before Smith fell for 30 when caught behind off the spin of Saeed Ajmal.
Amla fell soon after for 43 when caught by Shoaib Malik from the other off-spinner, Mohammad Hafeez.
If Pakistan thought it could restrict South Africa well with the home side 2-83 in the 17th over, they had another thing coming with AB de Villiers and Ingram combining for an outstanding and rapid-fire third wicket partnership.
The pair ended up combining for 120 from 120 balls before captain de Villiers fell for 65 from 63 balls when he became Ajmal's second victim.
Ingram continued on, though, and reached his century just before the 50 overs was up. The 27-year-old scored his third one-day ton for South Africa and finished not out on 105 from 104 balls with 10 boundaries.
In the latter part of the innings he received strong support from Faf du Plessis (26) and Farhaan Berhardien (34 not out from 14 balls with three fours and two sixes) as South Africa ended up 4-315 from 50 overs.
Pakistan openers Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed made a solid start putting up 42 at a run a ball before Kleinveldt picked up the wicket of Jamshed for 25 from 19 balls.
Pakistan was soon 2-52 with Hafeez run out for 25 and 3-65 with Asad Shafiq gone for just five.
Captain ul-Haq and veteran Younis Khan then steadied things for Pakistan despite not quite keeping up with the required run rate.
However, once Younis fell for 30 it started a steady stream of wickets right up until Pakistan was bowled out for 190.
Ul-Haq chipped in with a handy 38 and Malik 19 before Shahid Afridi gave some life to the contest hitting 34 from 16 balls with two fours and three sixes. One of his sixes went out of the ground at Chevrolet Park.
However, he was out of partners and ended up the last wicket to fall. The only batsman with a reason to complain was Ajmal who received a shocker of an LBW decision from umpire Johan Cloete off Kleinveldt. Ajmal got a massive inside-edge onto his pad.
It made no difference to the final result, though, with Pakistan all out for 190 to fall 135 runs short of South Africa's 4-315.
Kleinveldt was the pick of South Africa's bowlers with 4-22 from 5.2 overs in his best performance in one-day internationals. Ryan McLaren also picked up 3-19 from seven overs with Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Kyle Abbott claiming a wicket apiece.
The second one-dayer of the five-match series will take place at Centurion on Friday.