Australia took a 100-run first-innings lead at Newlands and SA were 181/5 in their second innings, but centuries from Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder helped set the visitors 288 to win.
The Proteas then bowled Australia out for 111 to secure a 176-run victory.
“I think the series in itself, I mean, I think it was an enthralling 15 days of cricket,” Bavuma said after SA sealed a famous series at Newlands on Saturday.
“To go from 10 months of no cricket to something like that, I think that will be remembered as one of the iconic Test series, at least in this century, I’d like to believe.
“Two quality sides who came up against each other and really forced each other to play their best cricket.”
Bavuma believes the manner of the turnaround was as important as the result, particularly after SA had been questioned following their World Test Championship triumph earlier this year.
“We obviously have a couple of weeks until our next series against Bangladesh, but I think it’ll take us a couple of days to kind of get off our high as a team,” he said.
“I think it’ll be important for us to acknowledge what we’ve achieved, celebrate whatever milestones, take whatever learnings that come with it.
"But I think really bask in what we’ve achieved, right?”
He said the progress made by the squad over the past 2½ years had exceeded his expectations, with the Proteas now sitting at the top of the ICC Test rankings.
“I think, you know, in the two, 2½ years, you look at the team, I think we’ve been able to squeeze out every inch of every individual,” Bavuma said.
“If I think before the series against Australia, if we were given the favourite tag, I’m not too sure about that.
"But I do hope with the way that we perform, not the result, but the way that people [have] performed, it’s given that belief.”
