The first match in the 26-year league staged on Christmas Eve was dominated by defences with each team having only one shot on target from a combined 19 attempts.
Seeking a record-extending seventh straight title, Sundowns won five league matches in a row from the start of the season for the first time by edging second-last Richards Bay in Durban.
Lesiba Nku marked his first start for Mamelodi Sundowns with two goals in a 4-0 South African Premiership drubbing of Golden Arrows in Pretoria on Tuesday.