+266 explained
The Lesotho country code, 266, is what you dial before a Lesotho number when you call from abroad. It is also known as the Lesotho dialing code, Lesotho calling code, or Lesotho phone code. In the Lesotho phone number format, +266 comes first, then the area code and the local number.
- Country code
- +266
- The 00266 country code is the same number
- ISO country codes
- LS, LSO
- Use the LS country code or the LSO country code on forms and passports. To call Lesotho, dial +266
- Used in
- Lesotho
- No other country or territory dials +266
- Exit code
- 00
- From most countries. Also 011 from United States and Canada, 0011 from Australia, and + from any mobile
- Trunk prefix
- None
- Keep every digit after +266
- Number length
- 8 digits
- After +266
- Time now in Lesotho
- Lesotho mobile number format
- 5012 3456
- From abroad: +266 5012 3456
- Lesotho landline number format
- 2212 3456
- From abroad: +266 2212 3456
Lesotho phone number types
The first digits of a Lesotho number tell you what kind of number it is: a landline, a mobile, a free number, or one that costs more to call. Here is a sample of each type of Lesotho phone number, as dialed inside Lesotho and from abroad.
Good to know before you call Lesotho
“Dumela”
It means hello. It is the everyday Sesotho greeting; no source names a separate phrase just for answering the phone.
Reply
“Kea phela, wena ujwang”
I'm fine, how are you
On a phone keypad, the letters C, N, N sit on the same keys as 2, 6, 6, so +266 spells +CNN.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in LesothoLesotho's own area codes came later. Numbers here were once folded into South Africa's national numbering plan.
Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in LesothoLesotho's Child Helpline, 116, and WASCO's toll-free helpline are both numbers the government publishes for anyone to call.
Government of LesothoLesotho gives each operator its own opening digit: 2 for landlines, 5 or 6 for mobiles, and 8 for toll-free lines.
ITU, Lesotho national numbering plan
What it costs to call Lesotho (using Suparelay)
Landline from $0.87/minMobile from $0.84/min
Only 35 of 221 countries cost more to call than Lesotho.
Enter a numberEach bar counts the countries at that price
Want to call Lesotho?
Call any phone from this tab. Nothing to install on either side, and you pay cents a minute.
Why a call to Lesotho fails
You call from: 🇺🇸 United States
The exit code is wrong for your country
00 works from Lesotho, South Africa, and most of Africa and Europe. From the US and Canada the exit code is 011.
- Connects
- 011 266 2212 3456
- Does not connect
- 00 266 2212 3456
The number does not take calls from abroad
Toll-free numbers that start with 800, such as Lesotho's LEC and WASCO helplines, often cannot be reached from outside the country.
- Connects
- 011 266 2212 3456
- Does not connect
- 011 266 8002 1234
Questions about +266
Which country is +266?
+266, or country code 266, belongs to Lesotho, the mountain kingdom that sits entirely inside South Africa.
What is +266?
+266 is the code you dial before a Lesotho number when you call it from another country.
What is the difference between +266 and 00266?
The + stands for your own exit code. Replace it with 00 from Lesotho, South Africa, or most of the world, or with 011 from the US and Canada, and 00266 or 011 266 reach the same number as +266.
Can I text a +266 number?
Yes. Write the number as +266 with the full 8 digits after it, and your carrier sends the text abroad at its own international rate.
How much does it cost to call Lesotho?
A call to a Lesotho mobile can cost more than a call to a landline. The dialer on this page shows the exact price of the number you enter before you call.
Is Lesotho's country code the same as South Africa's?
No. South Africa dials as +27, while Lesotho, the country it surrounds on every side, dials as +266.
Do I need to dial a 0 before +266?
No. Lesotho has no trunk prefix, so you dial +266 followed by all 8 digits of the local number, with nothing dropped.
The information on this page is accurate as of September 26, 2026.
ITU, Lesotho national numbering plan