What is the country code for South Africa?

The country code for South Africa is +27. When calling from the UK, dial 00 27 (or +27 on a mobile) before the South African number.

Do I need to drop the 0 at the start of a South African number?

Yes. The leading 0 is a domestic trunk prefix. When dialling internationally from the UK, replace it with +27. For example, a number starting 082 becomes +27 82.

How much does it cost to call South Africa with Sayfone?

Sayfone's rate for calls to South Africa is $0.92 per minute with transparent per-minute pricing. You can call directly from your browser with no app download required.

What is the time difference between the UK and South Africa?

South Africa is on SAST (UTC+2) year-round. During UK summer (BST, UTC+1), South Africa is 1 hour ahead. During UK winter (GMT, UTC+0), it is 2 hours ahead.

Can I call South African mobile numbers from the UK?

Yes. Dial 00 27 (or +27) followed by the mobile prefix (e.g. 82, 73, 61) and the 7-digit subscriber number. The total after +27 is always 9 digits.

Why won't my call to a South African 0800 number connect?

South African toll-free numbers (0800) are typically only reachable from within South Africa. Ask the business for a geographic or mobile number you can call internationally.

Do I need to install an app to use Sayfone?

No. Sayfone is browser-based — you can place calls to South Africa directly from your web browser without downloading an app.

Quick Answer

Call South Africa from the United Kingdom

From the UK, dial 00 27 (or +27 on a mobile) then the 9-digit South African number, dropping the leading 0. With Sayfone you can call South Africa for $0.92/min directly from your browser.

Start calling

Cost tools

🇬🇧From United Kingdom

To South Africa🇿🇦

$0.92

Per minute

+27

Country code

Call quality

Landline rate

$0.92/min

Mobile rate

$0.92/min

Same per-minute Sayfone rate for landline and mobile.

Average call quality

The UK has a large South African diaspora community, making this one of the key calling corridors between the two countries. Whether you're reaching family in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or Durban, the dialling steps below will get you connected.

Steps at a glance

Dial the UK exit code: 00 (or press + on a mobile)
Dial the South Africa country code: 27
Dial the 9-digit South African number (drop the leading 0)
Press call — or use Sayfone in your browser

Sources

1
Telephone numbers in South Africa — Wikipedia
Country code +27 and 9-digit national number length
2
ICASA — Numbering
Official South African numbering authority

DIALING GUIDE

How to Dial South Africa from the UK, Step by Step

Follow these steps to reach any South African landline or mobile number from a UK phone or browser.

1
Dial the UK international exit code
On a landline, dial 00. On a mobile phone, you can press and hold 0 to get the + symbol, which replaces the exit code.
```
00 or +
```
2
Dial South Africa's country code
Enter 27 immediately after the exit code. This routes your call to the South African telephone network.
```
00 27 or +27
```
3
Dial the area code or mobile prefix (without the leading 0)
South African numbers start with a 0 domestically, but you must drop this 0 when dialling internationally. For landlines, enter the 2-digit area code (e.g. 11 for Johannesburg, 21 for Cape Town). For mobiles, enter the 2-digit mobile prefix (e.g. 82, 73, 61).
```
00 27 21 … (Cape Town landline) or +27 82 … (mobile)
```
4
Dial the 7-digit subscriber number
Complete the call by entering the remaining 7 digits of the local phone number. The total after +27 should always be 9 digits.
```
00 27 21 123 4567 or +27 82 123 4567
```

Dialing format reference

+27

Use these patterns when entering a full international number to +27.

Mobile

+27 XX XXX XXXX

Landline

+27 XX XXX XXXX

+27 11 123 4567 (Johannesburg landline)
+27 21 123 4567 (Cape Town landline)
+27 82 123 4567 (mobile)

Major city area codes

Johannesburg11

Cape Town21

Pretoria12

Durban31

Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)41

Bloemfontein51

Sources

1
Telephone numbers in South Africa — Wikipedia
Country code, area codes, closed numbering plan details
2
ICASA — Numbering
10-digit domestic format confirmation

DIALING RULES

Key Dialing Rules for UK → South Africa Calls

A few formatting rules to keep in mind when dialling South African numbers from the United Kingdom.

Always drop the leading 0

South African numbers are 10 digits domestically (starting with 0). When dialling from the UK, replace the leading 0 with the country code +27. The 9 digits after +27 are all you need.

9 digits after +27 — no more, no less

Every standard South African phone number (mobile or landline) is exactly 9 digits after the country code. If you have more or fewer digits, double-check the number.

Closed numbering plan — area code is always required

South Africa uses a closed numbering plan since January 2007. This means you must dial the full number including the area code or mobile prefix, even for local calls within South Africa — and certainly for international calls.

Mobile number portability applies

South Africa introduced mobile number portability in 2006. A number's prefix (e.g. 082, 073) may no longer indicate the current carrier, but the dialling format remains the same.

Some special numbers may not work internationally

South African toll-free (0800), sharecall (0860), and premium-rate (086x) numbers may not be reachable from outside the country. If you need to reach a business, ask for their geographic or mobile number instead.

TIMING TIPS

Best Times to Call South Africa from the UK

South Africa is on SAST (UTC+2) year-round and does not observe daylight saving time. The UK shifts between GMT (UTC+0) in winter and BST (UTC+1) in summer, so the gap changes seasonally.

🇿🇦

During UK summer (late March–late October, BST), South Africa is 1 hour ahead. During UK winter (late October–late March, GMT), South Africa is 2 hours ahead. This narrow gap makes scheduling calls convenient.

Time & windows

UK Summer (BST)

+1 hour

Late March – late October. When it's 9 AM in London, it's 10 AM in South Africa.

UK Winter (GMT)

+2 hours

Late October – late March. When it's 9 AM in London, it's 11 AM in South Africa.

🇬🇧Weekday evenings (personal calls)

6 PM – 9 PM UK time → 7 PM – 10 PM / 8 PM – 11 PM SASTGood overlap for after-work family calls

🇬🇧Business hours overlap

9 AM – 3 PM UK time → 10 AM – 4 PM / 11 AM – 5 PM SASTFull working-day overlap in both countries

🇬🇧Weekend mornings

9 AM – 12 PM UK time → 10 AM – 1 PM / 11 AM – 2 PM SASTRelaxed timing for longer catch-up calls

Calling tips

Save South African contacts in +27 format so the number works regardless of which country you're in.
The 1–2 hour time difference makes spontaneous calls easy — no need to plan days in advance.
South African public holidays (e.g. Heritage Day, Freedom Day) may affect business availability.

Business etiquette

South African business hours are typically 08:00–17:00 SAST, Monday to Friday.
English is widely used in business settings across South Africa, so language is rarely a barrier for UK callers.
A brief greeting and small talk before getting to business is common and appreciated.

Sources

1
Time Zone Converter — timeanddate.com (London ↔ Johannesburg)
Confirms current 1-hour offset during BST
2
SAST does not observe DST — savvytime.com
Confirms South Africa Standard Time has no DST

TROUBLESHOOTING

Common Issues When Calling South Africa from the UK

If your call isn't connecting, check these common problems before trying again.

Forgot to drop the leading 0

The most common mistake: dialling +27 0XX instead of +27 XX. The domestic leading 0 is a trunk prefix and must be removed for international calls.

Wrong number of digits

After the +27 country code, a South African number should be exactly 9 digits. If you have more or fewer, verify the number with your contact.

Used the wrong exit code

From a UK landline, the exit code is 00. On a mobile, use the + symbol. Using a different country's exit code (e.g. 011, which is the US exit code) will not work.

International calling not enabled

Some UK mobile plans or business lines restrict international dialling by default. Contact your provider to confirm international calls are enabled on your line.

Trying to reach a special or toll-free number

Some special numbers (e.g. 0800 toll-free, 086x premium/sharecall) may not be reachable from outside South Africa. Request an alternative geographic or mobile number.

Sources

1
Telephone numbers in South Africa — Wikipedia
Number format and trunk prefix details

Savings

See what you could save

Adjust the tools below to compare Sayfone with typical retail pricing for calls to South Africa. Start with one call, then layer on monthly volume to see the bigger picture.

How to use these tools

Sayfone uses your live rate for calls to South Africa — the same basis as the rest of this page.
First, estimate savings on a single call length. Then, model a full month of minutes versus typical retail benchmarks.
Retail competitor rows are illustrative — not a quote from any carrier.