Levi, who only made his debut on Friday in Wellington, also brought up the fastest international Twenty20 century off 45 balls.
The powerfully-built Levi was brutal to a wayward New Zealand attack who bowled into his arc allowing him to smash the ball across the ropes from mid-off around to deep backward square-leg.
Captain AB de Villiers (39 not out) simply ticked the strike over to the 24-year-old who wasted little time in bringing up his century when he pushed the ball into the covers for a rare single.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle had held the previous record for sixes in a Twenty20 international with 10, while Gayle and Brendon McCullum had shared the record for fastest century. Both had achieved the mark in 50 balls.
| List of highest international Twenty20 scores | ||||
| Score | Player | Team | Opposition | Year |
| 117* | Richard Levi | South Africa | New Zealand | 2012 |
| 117 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | South Africa | 2007 |
| 116* | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | Australia | 2010 |
| 104* | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | Australia | 2011 |
| 101 | Suresh Raina | India | South Africa | 2010 |
| 100 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | 2010 |
| 98* | Ricky Ponting | Australia | New Zealand | 2005 |
| 98* | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | West Indies | 2010 |
| 98 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | India | 2010 |
| 96* | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | West Indies | 2009 |
| 96* | JP Duminy | South Africa | Zimbabwe | 2010 |
