How to call South Africa from Australia
- From mobile
- +27 xx xxx xxxx
- From landline
- 0011 27 xx xxx xxxx
From $0.34/min in your browser, no plan needed
How to dial South Africa from Australia
How to make a call to South Africa from Australia: dial the exit code, the country code, and the number. After 27, a South African number is a 9-digit number with no 0 in front.
- 0011Australia exit code
- 27Country code of South Africa
- 11Johannesburg
- xxx xxxxLocal number
- From a mobile: +27 xx xxx xxxx
Paste or type a number here to see how to dial it from anywhere
Example: +27 10 123 4567
- Mobile
- +27 10 123 4567
- Landline
- 0011 27 10 123 4567
Main area codes in South Africa
The area code comes right after 27, then the local number
- Johannesburg0011 27100011 2711then 7 digits
- Cape Town/Gordons Bay/Somerset West/Stellenbosch0011 2721then 7 digits
- Durban0011 2731then 7 digits
- Port Elizabeth/Uitenhage0011 2741then 7 digits
- East London0011 2743then 7 digits
- Newcastle/Northern KwaZulu Natal/Vryheid0011 2734then 7 digits
- Richards Bay/St. Lucia/Ulundi/Zululand0011 2735then 7 digits
- Klerksdorp/Lichtenburg/Potchefstroom0011 2718then 7 digits
Before you call South Africa
Dial the right city code
Each big city has its own code after 27, followed by 7 digits.
- Johannesburg0011 27 10
- Cape Town0011 27 21
- Durban0011 27 31
- Tshwane0011 27 12
Remove the 0 from the code
Saved South African numbers often keep the 0 before the area code, and that 0 stops the call.
- Fails
- 0011 27 011 xxx xxxx
- Works
- 0011 27 11 xxx xxxx
Calling South Africa cell phones
Save each South African mobile as +27 and the number, and it dials from your phone.
Calling South Africa from Australia without an international plan
Suparelay calls South Africa for $0.34/min from your browser, with no plan. Without one, carriers in Australia charge up to $1.75/min. Only named prepaid plans of Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone include South Africa; the table lists each one.
| Carrier | Per minute |
|---|---|
SuparelayNo plan neededUp to 5× cheaper | $0.34 landline$0.45 mobile |
 | $1.75 landline · $1.23 mobile |
 | No rate published |
 | $0.62 + $0.19 per call |
Want to call South Africa?
Type the number and call from your browser, with no app and no plan
When to call South Africa
The time now in South Africa, and the best hours to call. The time difference changes when Sydney moves its clocks, because South Africa keeps the same time all year.
- Time difference
- April to October: 8 hours behind Sydney
- October to April: 9 hours behind Sydney
- Daylight saving time
- None, the clocks never change
Why a call to South Africa fails
Optus Supercharge adds 39c per call
On Optus Prepaid Supercharge, every international call costs a 39c flagfall. The per-minute rate comes on top of it.
Optus, Optus Prepaid Supercharge | International Call RatesFrom any country, a call to South Africa also fails when
- The 0 is still in the number
- The exit code is wrong for your country
- The number does not take calls from abroad
Questions
How to call South Africa from Australia on a cell phone or mobile?
Dial +27, then the number. It works from any mobile in Australia
Are calls to South Africa included in Australia phone plans?
Yes, on most. Optus and Telstra include calls to South Africa in their plans. Vodafone charges less with an add-on or another plan. Without one of these plans, you pay the carrier's rate per minute
How much does it cost to call South Africa from Australia?
Nothing extra on Telstra Pre-Paid Max. Without such a plan, carriers in Australia charge up to $1.75 a minute. Suparelay calls South Africa from your browser for cents a minute, with no plan
How to call Johannesburg from Australia?
For Johannesburg, dial 0011 27 10, then the 7-digit local number
Do I need to dial 0011 to call South Africa?
From a landline, yes: dial 0011, then 27. From a mobile, type + instead, and the phone adds the exit code
How do I dial a +27 number?
Press and hold 0 until + appears, then dial 27 and the number
Can I call South Africa on my iPhone?
Yes. In the Phone app, press and hold 0 for +, then dial 27 and the number. Your plan must allow calls to South Africa
Why isn't my call going through to South Africa?
The usual causes: the 0 is still in the number, the exit code is wrong for your country, and the number does not take calls from abroad. Each one is listed above, with a link to its fix
How to call South Africa from Australia for free, with a free call to South Africa?
Only on Telstra Pre-Paid Max, or app to app. With any other plan, or from a laptop, Suparelay calls South Africa from your browser for cents a minute
How to call South Africa from Australia on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp and FaceTime call for free, but only someone with the same app. To ring a landline or a phone in South Africa without the app, use your phone plan, a calling service, or Suparelay
How to call South Africa landline from Australia?
From a landline in Australia, dial 0011 27, then the number
How do I call South Africa from Australia on an international call to South Africa?
Dial 0011 27, then the number. From a mobile, +27 works too
When is the best time to call South Africa?
Call between 8:00 and 22:00 in South Africa. April to October: 8 hours behind Sydney. October to April: 9 hours behind Sydney