South Africa (+27) phone code explained.
The +27 prefix connects Africa's most developed economy — from Johannesburg's financial hub to Cape Town's tech and tourism sectors. Here's the verified South Africa country code, ISO references, live local time, and Ringflow's direct South African routes.
South Africa at a glance.
The geography, area codes and SAST time zone you need before placing your first call into South Africa.
South Africa country information
Every route into South African lines.
Landline, calling card or business VoIP — the +27 prefix reaches all nine provinces. Pick the channel that matches your traffic.
Direct calls using landlines & mobile phones
Dial South Africa directly from any landline or mobile by entering your international exit code, then the country code +27, and finally the local number.
International calling cards for South Africa
Pre-paid international calling cards remain a convenient, low-cost way to reach South Africa. Each card gives you a PIN and an access number to place global calls.
VoIP services for contacting South Africa
VoIP apps like Skype, WhatsApp and Viber — and business VoIP from Ringflow — route calls to South Africa over the internet, usually at far lower rates than traditional carriers.
What shapes South African voice traffic, province to province.
The fundamentals behind calls to and from South Africa — the +27 code, Pretoria, the single SAST zone and the area-code plan.
How to call South Africa.
A South African number is built from four parts. Here's the anatomy and dialling order, including the leading-zero rule.
Number anatomy
Start with the exit prefix
Press + on a mobile (hold the 0 key), or dial 00 from most countries, or 011 from North America.
Add the South Africa code
Dial +27. This identifies South Africa on the global telephone network.
Enter the area or mobile prefix
Type the first part of the local number. Drop the leading 0 if there is one.
Finish with the subscriber number
The remaining digits route the call to the specific line in Pretoria or elsewhere.
Dialling South Africa (+27) from other countries
The exit prefix changes by origin; the South Africa code stays +27.
| Calling from | Exit prefix | You dial, then the national number |
|---|---|---|
| United States & Canada | 011 | 011 27 |
| United Kingdom & most of Europe | 00 | 00 27 |
| Australia | 0011 | 0011 27 |
| Japan | 010 | 010 27 |
| Any mobile (E.164) | + | +27 |
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FAQ
Calling South Africa, answered.
What businesses and travellers ask most before dialling South Africa on +27.
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Dialling South Africa without misdialling
South Africa’s calling code is +27 , which puts it in Africa, plus a few Atlantic and Indian Ocean territories. The codes below are the ones a caller actually reaches by mistake, so they are worth checking before a number goes into a CRM or an outbound list.
| Dial this by mistake | and you reach | Why it happens |
|---|---|---|
| +20 | Egypt | One digit out on the last position |
Other Africa countries in the same numbering zone: Algeria +213, Angola +244, Benin +229, Botswana +267, Burkina Faso +226. South Africa's capital is Pretoria.