The Blackcaps' wait for a maiden series victory over South Africa will continue, after New Zealand suffered a crushing 198-run defeat to the Proteas in Christchurch.
Holding a 1-0 lead thanks to victory by an innings and 276-runs in the first test, the Blackcaps couldn't close out the win or draw needed to take the series, and have to settle for a 1-1 scoreline.
Chasing a world record target of 426 runs for victory, New Zealand were bowled out for 227 shortly after tea on the final day to see South Africa square the series.
Defeat sees the Blackcaps finish their home test summer without a series win, having also drawn 1-1 with Bangladesh, for the first time since the 2012/13 season.
The Blackcaps had begun brightly, as overnight pair Devon Conway and Tom Blundell defied the Proteas attack for over an hour in the morning session.
But once Conway fell for 92, any hope of the Blackcaps saving the test faded, before slumping to their second loss of the home summer.
The result also leaves New Zealand's defence of their World Test Championship title hanging by a thread, missing out on a valuable 12 points in the quest to reach the 2023 final.
The Blackcaps sit sixth on the current World Test Championship standings, with 28 of a possible 72 points won from their opening three series.
And with places in the final decided by percentage of points won, New Zealand's 38.88 percent doesn't make for good reading with series against England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to come.
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada took home the man-of-the-match award, for figures of 8/106 with the bat and a quickfire 47 from 34 balls with the bat.
Meanwhile, Matt Henry collected the man-of-the-series honours after topping the wicket charts with 14 at an average of 16.14.
Resuming needing to bat 90 overs to save the second test, Devon Conway and Tom Blundell set about the unenviable task.
But with no demons in the pitch, batting wasn't as difficult as it could be on a fifth day pitch, as Conway and Blundell batted out 174 balls between them.
The pair added 85 runs together for the fifth wicket, before Conway departed before lunch.
Carrying on after finishing day four with 60, Conway batted on into the 90s, and had one eye on a fourth test century.
The left-hander batted with positivity and intent, showing off a range of conventional and reverse sweeps off spinner Keshav Maharaj.
But after surviving a close lbw shout from Maharaj, Conway's stay ended on 92, trapped in front by Lutho Sipamla, having faced 188 balls in his near six-hour stay at the crease.
And resuming after lunch, the Blackcaps' lower order fell apart like a house of cards to fall from 166/4 to 220/9 - a collapse of 54/5.
Blundell departed for 44, as he was caught at midwicket off Marco Jansen's bowling, before Colin de Grandhomme went for just 18, caught by leg gully one over later.
Kyle Jamieson made it to 12 before he was caught trying to hook Jansen after the new ball was taken, while Tim Southee perished in similar fashion off the bowling of Rabada.
And despite a short rain delay arriving to offer the last wicket pair of Neil Wagner and Matt Henry some respite, there was simply too much to do for the Blackcaps to stave off defeat.
New Zealand's home summer finishes with a white ball series against the Netherlands, playing three one day internationals and a one-off Twenty20.
South Africa 364 (Erwee 108; Wagner 4/102) & 354/9d (Verreynne 136 not out; Wagner, Jamieson, Henry 2/81)
New Zealand 293 (de Grandhomme 120 not out; Rabada 5/60) & 227 (Conway 92; Rabada 3/46)