Pope is unbeaten on 61 and will resume the innings with Stuart Broad (36) (0 not out) on day two, if the weather allows, after the afternoon session was limited to just six overs before the rain came.
The tourists managed to take the wicket of Ben Foakes (29) in that time as he was bowled by the fiery Anrich Nortje (28) (3-43), who topped 150 kilometres per hour with some of his deliveries.
The tale of the first day has been South Africa's aggressive and accurate fast bowling rather than England's swashbuckling style that had brought the home side four excellent test wins in a row earlier in the summer.
According to CricViz, 34% of deliveries so far on day one resulted in a false shot, the second highest percentage at this point in a test innings for England since 2006.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl under overcast skies, with England captain Ben Stokes (31) conceding he would have done the same.
Kagiso Rabada (27) (2-36), who was an injury doubt going into the game, made an excellent start, dismissing both England openers cheaply to catches behind the wicket.
Alex Lees (29) (5) went too hard at a delivery just outside his off-stump and was caught comfortably by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (25), while Zak Crawley (24) (9) edged to a diving Aiden Markram (27) at second slip.
Crawley now has single figures in eight of his last 11 test innings, with former England batsman Mark Butcher suggesting in Sky Sports coverage of the test that the selectors were "cruel" to keep playing him.
Joe Root (31) (8) scored a superb unbeaten century at Lord's earlier this summer but could not replicate that as he was trapped leg before wicket by left-arm seamer Marco Jansen (22), the in-swinging ball shown to be clipping the leg stump.
Jonny Bairstow (32) has also had a golden summer but he produced a shot to forget when he missed a rapid straight delivery from Nortje and was bowled for a duck, beaten for sheer pace.
Stokes had looked to attack the bowling and reached 20 from 30 balls before he was caught by third slip Keegan Petersen (29) off seamer Nortje, the last ball before lunch to compound a miserable morning for the hosts.
