AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla made centuries in South Africa's 351-5 and leg spinner Imran Tahir took three wickets in a predictably dominant showing from the hotly favored Proteas.
Netherlands was dismissed for 120 in 34.5 overs at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium for successive heavy losses following a 215-run capitulation to West Indies.
Opener Wesley Barresi made 44 but Netherlands fell away rapidly to lose its last six batsmen for 20 runs.
Amla and De Villiers had combined for a 221-run partnership to take the game away from Netherlands after South Africa was put in to bat in overcast conditions and reduced to 58-2.
South Africa recovered emphatically to post the highest ODI total ever at Mohali.
“From our perspective it was just nice to win and win well,” South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. “We knew we needed to set up a base and once we did that we had something to attack off.
“We've got a big two games coming our way now. England on Sunday and then India. It's nice that we've got a bit of a run of games and we can get a bit of confidence going and get on a roll.” Tahir finished with 3-19 to seal South Africa's one-sided win and continue his strong start to the World Cup after claiming four wickets in the Proteas' opening win against West Indies.
He was backed up by 2-19 from all-rounder Jacques Kallis and 2-22 from leftarm spinner Robin Peterson.
Apart from Barresi, who was one of three South African-born players in the Dutch team, none of the Netherlands batsmen had a prolonged stay at the wicket.
“If you look at what we've done in our last two scores, maybe the pressure of chasing big, big totals was too much,” Netherlands captain Peter Borren said.
Kallis provided South Africa's early breakthrough with a juggling caught and bowled dismissal of Alexei Kervezee. He then had Tom Cooper caught in the deep by Dale Steyn.
Steyn, himself, removed Dutch dangerman Ryan ten Doeschate with a ball that jagged back to catch the all-rounder lbw for 11.
Tahir, South Africa's new spin star, wrapped up the Netherlands tail, claiming the last three wickets with some big-turning deliveries.
Amla and De Villiers had earlier snuffed out a promising start from the Dutch bowlers with the highest third-wicket partnership for South Africa in one-day internationals.
The top two batsmen in the ODI rankings lifted South Africa from a sluggish start at 58-2, following the loss of captain Smith and Kallis, to an imposing 279-3 by the time Amla fell for his 113 from 130 balls.
While Amla's approach in his eighth ODI century was measured, De Villiers was brutal, carving drives through the offside and flicking through midwicket to rush to 50 off just 48 balls. He then accelerated further to power to his 11th one-day hundred off 88 balls, with 10 fours and a six.
The pair took South Africa racing away, hitting boundaries to all parts as the sun came out, and the Dutch bowlers' early confidence evaporated.
The right-handed De Villiers celebrated his second successive century at the World Cup by launching three more sixes off the first three balls of the 44th over from Bernard Loots.
“I'm enjoying my batting at the moment,” De Villiers said. “I've worked really hard to get into the form I'm in ... It's great to be back in good form.” The huge stand was finally broken when Amla slashed straight to Tom Cooper in the covers. De Villiers was run out five balls later, having hit 13 fours and four sixes, but the damage had already been done.
There was still time for JP Duminy to hammer home the advantage with two fours and four sixes in his 40 from 15 balls. He led a rapid 66-run partnership with Faf du Plessis (18 not out) in the final overs before being was caught on the boundary off the penultimate ball of South Africa's innings.
South Africa made 243 runs off the second 25 overs of its innings, and plundered 136 runs off the last 10.
