Moeen Ali led with bat and ball to take England to a 177-run victory over South Africa in the fourth test on Monday, wrapping up a 3-1 series win.
Ali took 5-69 as South Africa was all out for 202 in its second innings soon after tea on the fourth day, well short of its target of 380 at Old Trafford.
England began its time under new captain Joe Root with a long-awaited home series win over the Proteas, which had defied England in England since 1998.
It was England's second successive series win over South Africa after winning in South Africa 18 months ago, but broke a near two-decade drought on English soil.
Ali's five-for, which came quickly on the fourth day, followed up his 75 not out in England's second-innings total of 243, which effectively took the game away from South Africa on Day 3.
England under Root was convincing in three of the four tests, with its only wobble coming in a heavy defeat in the second match at Trent Bridge.
However, having won by 211 runs in the opener at lord's, England responded to the defeat in Nottingham with dominant victories at The Oval and Old Trafford.
Earlier, all of England's frontline pacemen took a wicket apiece as the hosts eyed a series win over South Africa in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Monday.
South Africa had slumped to 40 for three in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day, with the Proteas needing a further 340 runs to reach an imposing victory target of 380.
Hashim Amla was 11 not out after Temba Bavuma (12) fell to the last ball before lunch in a match South Africa needed to win if they were to end a four-match series all square at 2-2.
South Africa have not lost a Test series in England since 1998 and in their past 19 away Test series they have suffered just one campaign reverse — against India in 2015/16. But both of those records looked like taking a dent, with Joe Root in sight of victory in his first Test series as England captain.
The most yet made by any side to win in the fourth innings of a Test at Old Trafford is England's 294 for four against New Zealand in 2008.
South Africa's already difficult task was not helped when, after rain briefly delayed the start of their chase, they slumped to 18 for two.
Dean Elgar, who made a gritty second-innings hundred in England's 239-run victory in the third Test at The Oval, fell for five on Monday when caught behind off Stuart Broad.
Fellow opener Heino Kuhn (11), struggling to cement his Test place, repeatedly played and missed before edging James Anderson, again bowling from the newly-named James Anderson End, low to Alastair Cook at first slip.