The hosts lost the wicket of Ashwell Prince early in the post-lunch session but Kallis and Mark Boucher pulled the team out of the pits with an unfinished 82-run partnership for the seventh wicket after being 130 for six at one stage.
Kallis (67) and Boucher (46) were at the crease at the tea break in what turned out to be a fruitful session for the hosts who added 91 runs and lost just one wicket.
South Africa suffered a huge jolt immediately after the lunch break with Ishant Sharma taking the wicket of Prince who cut an outside the off stump ball straight to Sreesanth at point.
Boucher, who was out for a first-ball duck in the first innings, began with a flourish by hitting a couple of boundaries. Ishant Sharma strayed down the leg side on a number of occasions and Boucher took full advantage.
Kallis and Boucher then went about the task of rebuilding the innings and took the score beyond the 200-mark with the Indian bowlers losing the sting.
Kallis notched up his 55th half century by unleasing a delightful on-drive to the boundary, getting a standing ovation from the crowd at the Newlands. In the same over, he spanked him for another boundary to the square leg region.