The Sharks sneaked into the Super Rugby playoffs after they beat a second-string Jaguares 20-10 in a rather uninspiring match at a wet Kings Park on Saturday night.
The Sharks were rewarded with a tough trip to Christchurch to face the defending champions, the Crusaders, who also finished top of the standings by some distance from their other teams in the competition.
The Sharks scored two tries to seal eighth position ahead of Australia's Melbourne Rebels, who went down to the Highlanders earlier on Saturday to give the chance of qualifying for the post-season.
The Sharks finished level on 36 points with the Rebels, both sides having won seven matches in the season, but edged their Australian rivals on points difference.
Argentina's Jaguares were already assured of seventh-place in the overall table and fielded a side that containing 10 changes as they prepared for a first ever playoff fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg.
The Lions had earlier clinched top spot in the South African Conference, and second on the overall Super Rugby table, after a rampant 38-12 bonus-point victory over the Bulls in a frenetic local derby at Ellis Park.
Akker van der Merwe and Kobus van Wyk crossed the line for the Durban side, while the Jaguares scored through Sebastian Cancelliere, while Joaquín Díaz Bonilla contributed five points from the kicking tee.