His first-class debut for Gauteng came in 2008 and just three seasons after this, he was signed up by the Lions. His good displays for the Lions and the fact that he could maintain consistency ensured that he was promoted and made the vice-captain for the team during the 2013-14 season. Bavuma was on the top run-getters list for consecutive seasons in domestic cricket and hence, he was called up to the Test squad for South Africa, when they toured West Indies, towards the end of 2014. He did not have the best outing in his first Test, but impressed one and all, when he got a half-century when he got his next chance in the middle of 2015, against Bangladesh. The series which imprinted his name into the Test squads for South Africa, was their series against England in late 2015 into early 2016, as he scored a ton in Cape Town.

After this though, he has yet to really reach the levels that his early days had promised, as against Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, he did not have the best outings in South Africa's Test games, apart from a couple of half-centuries. Temba made his debut in the 50-over and 20-over formats for the Saffas.

In March 2021, Temba Bavuma was appointed as the captain of South Africa's limited-overs team, succeeding Quinton de Kock. With this role, he became the first black African player to hold the permanent captaincy of South Africa's national side. Bavuma's inaugural series as captain was a home series against Pakistan, but he faced a setback when he sustained a hamstring injury during the third ODI, causing him to miss the T20I matches that followed.

Later, the same year, Bavuma achieved a personal milestone by scoring his maiden T20I half-century against Ireland in the third T20I, where he made 72 runs off 51 balls. In September of that year, during South Africa's tour of Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is, he suffered a right thumb injury while batting in the opening match and had to retire hurt. This injury required surgery; however, Bavuma made a sufficient recovery to lead South Africa at the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in October.

Temba Bavuma captained South Africa during the 2022 T20 World Cup, but his batting performances fell short, attracting significant criticism back home. Struggling to find consistency with the bat, he only regained his form in 2023, becoming a reliable run-scorer and demonstrating strong leadership skills. Bavuma not only hit quick centuries but also reached a career high with a remarkable double century against the West Indies in the 2023 Sir Vivian Richards Trophy. He has amassed over 3,000 runs in Tests and is approaching the 2,000-run milestone in ODIs. While his impact in T20s has been limited, his recent contributions as a leader in ODIs and Tests have been exceptional.