As an integral inter-ocean link in the global thermohaline circulation (THC), understanding the Agulhas Current system is important for improving our knowledge of the global climate. We aim at the reconstruction of pathways and intensities of major deep water masses in Indian Ocean-Atlantic gateway during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Our investigation will be based on an integration of non-destructive physical and chemical core- and downhole-logging data to be obtained during IODP Exp. 361 (“Southern African Climates”). These records combined with already existing seismic reflection data will be used to map biogenic and terrigenous sediment accumulation rate changes and to deduce terrigenous sediment provenance variations during major climate transitions of the last 6 Ma, such as the mid Pliocene warm period and the onset of Northern hemisphere glaciation. Furthermore, we want to explore how changes in Antarctic ice volume influenced the ocean circulation patterns within the gateway. The high-resolution core scanning records will also allow investigating threshold behaviour of millennial scale climate variability in the area.