A terrifying video has emerged from South Africa of a great white shark trying to attack a diving cage.

The footage, shot last month off the coast of Van Dyks Bays, captures the moment the shark attempts to bite the cage bars, showing its impressive set of teeth.

"It [was] truly one of the greatest moments of our lives when we went within centimetres of a large Great White, one of the earth’s true apex predators," the filmers wrote online.