South Africa will be putting out a new-look side for the T20 Internationals against New Zealand at the end of this month, resting some of the big guns and opting to use local talent against the Black Caps.

With Graeme Smith not a regular in the T20 side, and Jacques Kallis injured, explosive batsman Roelof van der Merwe is set to be called upon. As for the bowlers, Aaron Phangiso and fellow Lions bowler Chris Morris are in line for caps.

The bowling duo impressed for the franchise during the Champions League T20, with spinner Phangiso catching the attention with his wicket-taking deliveries. Morris, meanwhile, could be called up to give Dale Steyn a rest.

T20 skipper AB De Villiers said: "We are probably going to see a whole different look in the side. We are going to try a few youngsters here and there and there will definitely be a few new names. That's the way we want to go.

"We want to give youngsters performing at the domestic level a chance to showcase their talents. We might see a different side against New Zealand coming through. We'll follow the same kind of strategies but with new players, they will bring in different talents and skills, which is exciting.

"I am not going to change my captaincy too much. I am still learning but I will still follow the same kinds of game plans. Russell (Domingo, the coach) is there, he might have a few new ideas. It's always good to change a bit, get something fresh in and am looking forward to it."

South Africa's chief selector Andrew Hudson also addressed the fate of Proteas batsman Richard Levi, who had a horrific time at the World Twenty20 but has since found form in the domestic one day competition.

Hudson said of the Momentum Cup's top scorer: "For a lot of players like Richard, it's all about building knowledge, building your skills and the ability to perform in any environment.

There is no reason to discard him or any of the youngsters at this stage, it's more about understanding where he is with his game, what he is working on and what his potential is."

The first of three T20Is will be played on Friday 21 December, in Durban.