De Villiers’s innings of 146 leaves the West Indies facing a fourth successive defeat and near certain elimination from the competition after another lame bowling performance from Brian Lara's side.
The total is South Africa's record tally in a World Cup match, surpassing the 353 they scored against the Netherlands in the group stage of this competition.
The 23-year-old de Villiers, who had been struggling for form going into the game, put on a 170 run partnership for the second wicket with Jaques Kallis after skipper Graeme Smith went early, caught behind off Corey Collymore.
On an ideal batting track and with a fast outfield, the pair rarely looked in trouble although Kallis was dropped by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin when on 40.
Showing intelligent shot selection and smart running between the wicket, the pair built up a momentum which a mediocre West Indian bowling attack was unable to interrupt until the damage had been done.
Kallis eventually went for 81 and de Villiers went on to complete his century but, struggling with cramp, he was forced to take Smith as a runner.
The captain had little work to do, however, as de Villiers dealt with his muscle problem by simply racking up boundaries.
The right-hander went on the rampage hitting four sixes in a further 46 runs in 16 balls before he was caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off Collymore.
Then it was the turn of Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher to punish the West Indian attack as they shared a rapid 86-run partnership.
Boucher struck the third fastest fifty in World Cup history with his half-century coming off just 22 balls while Gibbs ended on 61 not out.
Lara's strange decision to leave his third ‘power play’ session until the 45th over proved costly with 77 runs coming from those five overs – 26 runs coming from pace bowler Daren Powell's final over where he was hit for four sixes.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA:
A.B. de Villiers c Chanderpaul b Collymore 146
G.C. Smith c Ramdin b Collymore 7
J.H. Kallis b Gayle 81
H.H. Gibbs not out 61
M.V. Boucher c and b Bravo 52
S.M. Pollock not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-6) 9
TOTAL (for four wkts, 50 overs) 356
FALL OF WKTS: 1-21 (Smith, 6.6 ov), 2-191 (Kallis, 35.2 ov), 3-261 (de Villiers, 43.1 ov), 4-347 (Boucher, 49.2 ov).
DID NOT BAT: L.L. Bosman, A.G. Prince, A.J. Hall, A. Nel, M. Ntini.
BOWLING: Collymore 10-0-41-2 (3w); Powell 10-0-78-0 (1w); Bradshaw 10-0-73-0 (2w); Bravo 7-0-69-1; Pollard 3-0-20-0; Gayle 6-0-42-1; Sarwan 4-0-30-0.
WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, D.S. Smith, B.C. Lara, S. Chanderpaul, R.R. Sarwan, D.J. Bravo, D. Ramdin, K.A. Pollard, I.D.R. Bradshaw, D.B. Powell, C.D. Collymore.
UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: Aleem Dar (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).—Reuters