Cricket South Africa have confirmed that AB de Villiers has agreed to become the Proteas' Test captain on a permanent basis.

The batsman temporarily took over for the last two Tests against England recently when Hashim Amla relinquished the role.

De Villiers initially suggested that he was not open to leading the team full time, but it appears that he has changed his mind.

"This is an exciting time for South African cricket, and I am honoured to have been asked to captain the Test team into a new era," said De Villiers.

"I thoroughly enjoyed captaining in the last two Tests against England - and although I still have a lot to learn in this role, it's a new challenge that I'm excited to take on."

De Villiers also skippers the Proteas' one-day side, who host England in a five-match ODI series starting next Wednesday.