The South Sumatra Basin is the typical backarc rift basin of Cenozoic. The tectonic evolution controls the distribution of sedimentary systems and source rock, reservoir and seal from Eocene to Holocene. From early Eocene to early Oligocene, the South Sumatra Basin is in the early syn-rift stage and developed a set of grabens and half grabens with terrestrial facies, in which the prodelta shale is the main source rocks, and glutenites in the alluvial fan and braided river are the main reservoir rocks. During Late Oligocen,the South Sumatra Basin is in the early syn-rift later stage when there is the marine facies in the middle of the basin caused by the transgression from southwest, and delta and fluvial facies existed at the edge of the basin. The coal-bearing shale in the delta is the main source rock and the important cap rock, while the sandstones in the fluvial and delta facies are the important reservoir rocks. During the early Miocene, the South Sumatra Basin is in the last syn-rift later stage when the basin is deposited mainly as the marine facies, in which the mud shale and muddy limestone in the abysmal-bathyal facies are the important source rocks and regional seals,while the carbonate bank and biohermal limestone in the shore-shallow marine are the main reservoirs. From the middle Miocene to Pliocene, the South Sumatra Basin experienced the compaction and regression causing the development of marine, terrestrial and transitional facies at the same time. The regressive sandstone in the shore-shallow marine is the favorable reservoir, and the mud shale in the pre-delta is the good source and seal rocks. Definition of the evolution of the sedimentary system and the corresponding distribution of source rock, reservoir and seal in the South Sumatra Basin will provide the scientific foundation to establish the database of sedimentary system and hydrocarbon system in the petroliferous basins all over the world.