The Consular Office Rome site gives no details about passport applications (which I assume would fall within the area of Civic services).

So calling them would probably be the best thing to do.

The Tourist passport: Persons 16 years and older doc file contains information that may be usefull to read beforhand.

• this link was found at the South African Embassy in Germany

• Applications submitted at the Embassy in Berlin or Consulate-General in Munich are sent free of charge to the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, where applications are finalised and new documents issued, with the diplomatic freight bag once a month. In the case of urgent applications, applicants may opt to organise and pay for a courier service to collect their applications from our office and have it delivered directly to the Department in Pretoria – applicants who would like to make use of this option should confirm this in writing when submitting their applications.
• After the application has been sent to the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, it may take up to 6 months for the application to be finalised and the newly issued document to reach the office of application / South African mission abroad. Status / progress reports are not provided to applicants by the mission during the above-mentioned processing period; applicants may however contact the Department of Home Affairs Contact Centre themselves about their application status: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected].

Consular Office Rome
The Consular Sections of the Embassy and the Consulate General of South Africa based in Rome and Milan , render an Immigration service to citizens of Italy, Malta, San Marino and Albania.
Civic services are also rendered to South African citizens in these regions.

Submission of Applications :
Monday-Friday 09: 00–12: 00 Saturday / Sunday Closed

Telephonic inquiries -

• Monday-Thursday 1.30pm-4.30pm

• Friday 12:00 - 13:30
• Saturday / Sunday Closed

E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +39 06 85254262 ( Telephonic inquiries ) Fax: +39 06 84242237

Sources:

• South Africa - Consular Office Rome
• SA Citizen Services - South African Embassy to the Federal Republik of Germany
  • Tourist passport: Persons 16 years and older

The Consular Office Rome site gives no details about passport applications (which I assume would fall within the area of Civic services).

So calling them would probably be the best thing to do.

The Tourist passport: Persons 16 years and older doc file contains information that may be usefull to read beforhand.

• this link was found at the South African Embassy in Germany

so may also apply to to Rome and Milan Consulates.

• Applications submitted at the Embassy in Berlin or Consulate-General in Munich are sent free of charge to the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, where applications are finalised and new documents issued, with the diplomatic freight bag once a month. In the case of urgent applications, applicants may opt to organise and pay for a courier service to collect their applications from our office and have it delivered directly to the Department in Pretoria – applicants who would like to make use of this option should confirm this in writing when submitting their applications.
• After the application has been sent to the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, it may take up to 6 months for the application to be finalised and the newly issued document to reach the office of application / South African mission abroad. Status / progress reports are not provided to applicants by the mission during the above-mentioned processing period; applicants may however contact the Department of Home Affairs Contact Centre themselves about their application status: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected].

Consular Office Rome
The Consular Sections of the Embassy and the Consulate General of South Africa based in Rome and Milan , render an Immigration service to citizens of Italy, Malta, San Marino and Albania.
Civic services are also rendered to South African citizens in these regions.

Submission of Applications :
Monday-Friday 09: 00–12: 00 Saturday / Sunday Closed

Telephonic inquiries -

• Monday-Thursday 1.30pm-4.30pm

• Friday 12:00 - 13:30
• Saturday / Sunday Closed

E-mail: [email protected] 
Tel: +39 06 85254262 ( Telephonic inquiries ) 
Fax: +39 06 84242237

Sources:

• South Africa - Consular Office Rome
• SA Citizen Services - South African Embassy to the Federal Republik of Germany
  • Tourist passport: Persons 16 years and older