Faf du Plessis says Australia's ball tampering at Newlands was "much more serious" than the actions that saw the South Africa captain reprimanded two years ago.
Cameron Bancroft admitted attempting to alter the condition of the ball after being caught on camera using tape in the field on day three of the third Test.
Australia captain Steve Smith revealed that the tourists' "leadership group" had devised a plan to manipulate the condition of the ball during the lunch break in a desperate attempt to get back into the match.
Smith and his deputy David Warner were stood down for the rest of the Test, which the Proteas won by 322 runs on Sunday, and the former was banned for one match by the ICC as well as being fined his entire match fee.
Du Plessis was sanctioned for applying saliva to the ball with a mint in his mouth during South Africa's second Test in Australia in 2016, but the batsman said his offence was not as bad as the tourists' antics in Cape Town.
"For me, yes," Du Plessis said when asked if Australia's offence was worse.
"Ball shining versus ball tampering are two very different situations and one is much more serious than the other.
"It's so difficult to say which is right and which is wrong. I think he [Smith] is trying to take responsibility, so there is right in that.
"But there is also right in people being responsible for their own actions."
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