🇬🇧 ➔ 🇿🇦UK to South Africa

Calling South Africa
from the UK
Dial 00 + 27

From United Kingdom to South Africa, the country code is +27. With StartACall you skip the codes and the downloads and dial South Africa from any browser tab.

Product facts

  • Outbound: No dedicated number required.
  • Inbound: Requires US/Canada digital number ($2.14 to $5/month).
  • No apps: Works in Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox.
🇿🇦

How to Dial South Africa

1

UK Exit Code

Dial 00. This is the standard prefix for international calls from the UK.

2

SA Country Code

Dial 27. This connects you to South Africa.

3

Area Code

Dial the city code (e.g., 21 for Cape Town) and the number. Drop the leading zero!

South African Area Codes

Johannesburg
Gauteng
11
Cape Town
Western Cape
21
Durban
KwaZulu-Natal
31
Pretoria
Gauteng
12
Port Elizabeth
Eastern Cape
41
Bloemfontein
Free State
51
East London
Eastern Cape
43

Connectivity Tip

South Africa experiences "load shedding" (power cuts). If a landline doesn't answer, try calling the mobile number. StartACall connects to both with excellent quality.

Calling South Africa from United Kingdom: what to know

South Africa answers on the country code +27, with the capital in Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative) and most business concentrated around Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The working language for business is English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, and 8 other official languages, and local offices generally keep hours of 8:00 to 17:00. Load-shedding (scheduled electricity outages) frequently interrupts business calls, many companies publish schedules so calls can be timed around outages.

From United Kingdom the outbound access code is 00, so a manual dial reads 00 then +27 then the local number. StartACall removes that step: the call goes through your browser, so there is nothing to install and no SIM card to swap when you travel between United Kingdom and South Africa.

Most mobiles in South Africa sit on operators such as Vodacom, MTN South Africa, Cell C. Voice calls remain the dominant business channel because mobile data is comparatively expensive.

South Africa runs on UTC plus 2, and it does not observe daylight saving, so the time difference stays constant through the year.

How to dial South Africa from United Kingdom

  1. 1
    Dial the exit code 00

    00 is the international access code used when dialing out of United Kingdom. On a mobile you can press and hold 0 to enter the plus sign instead.

  2. 2
    Enter the country code +27

    +27 routes the call to South Africa.

  3. 3
    Add the local number

    Dial the destination number without its leading 0. For Johannesburg that means including the area code 11.

Best time to call South Africa

The destination is 2 hours ahead of you.

United Kingdom clock (UTC)
09:00 to 15:00
South Africa clock (UTC plus 2)
11:00 to 17:00

Place the call inside this window and both you and the person in South Africa are within normal working hours.

Rates to South Africa (+27)

Pay as you go, billed per minute with no connection surprises. A sample 10 minute call is shown for each line type.

Line typePer minute10 minute call
Mobile$0.1537$1.54
Landline$0.1126$1.13

Rates as of 2026-06-06, in US dollars, and subject to change. The exact rate is always confirmed in the dialer before you connect.

Frequently asked questions

How do I call South Africa from United Kingdom?+

Dial 00 then +27 followed by the local number without its leading 0. From a browser on StartACall you simply enter the number and press call, with no exit code to remember.

What is the country code for South Africa?+

The country code for South Africa is +27. Johannesburg uses the area code 11.

What is the best time to call South Africa?+

The destination is 2 hours ahead of you. Calling between 09:00 to 15:00 your time reaches South Africa during its working day (11:00 to 17:00 local time).

Do I need to install an app to call South Africa?+

No. StartACall runs in your browser on Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox, so you can place the call without downloading anything or buying a phone number for outbound calls.

Can I receive calls as well?+

Outbound calls need no number. To receive inbound calls you add a US or Canada digital number, billed monthly, and answer it in the same browser tab.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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