Ben Stokes has rued England's missed chances after South Africa amassed a first-innings total of 475 during the final Test in Centurion.
Alastair Cook led the fightback on Saturday with an unbeaten 67 to reduce the deficit to 337 after Alex Hales and Nick Compton were dismissed for low tallies.
"We will look back on this game and realise we let them off the hook massively," Stokes told reporters. "We were the ones who enabled them to get the big score and you can't give any player, especially a player like Hashim Amla, chances. He really made us pay. In Test cricket good players do."
Stokes was 4-86 during the Proteas' innings, although wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow drew criticism for three separate errors that could have changed the direction of the match.
"I know from dropping catches you feel like the whole team is looking at you, you feel like the whole ground is looking at you," said Stokes. "But it's something you have just to get on with.
"Unfortunately, Jonny this innings, didn't take the chances but on another day it could have been a different ball game. There are no grudges held and at the same time there's no going up and saying catch the next one because that's just a cliche.
"There are 11 individuals out there who know that it's up to us to put that kind of thing behind us, and I think Jonny definitely does as well."
England have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
