**Dial South Africa +27 — Step-by-Step**

> How to call South Africa step by step: the exit code from your own country, the country code +27, the number format, and the mistakes that stop it connecting.

Source: https://telvio.app/how-to-call/south-africa/

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3. South Africa

🇿🇦 Dialing Guide

# How to Call South Africa (+27)

Country code, exit codes, phone number format, and common mistakes when calling South Africa from abroad.

## Dialing format

How to dial from United States

### Calling South Africa

Exit code

Country code

Area code

Local number

011 27 11 XXXX XXXX

Exit code

Dial this first to exit United States

Country code

South Africa country code

Area code

City/region code

Local number

The subscriber number

From the United States, dial **011** to place an international call, then **27** for South Africa, then the area code **11** (drop any leading 0), followed by the local number. With Telvio you dial the same format — no prefix change needed.

## Exit codes by source country

The exit code depends on where YOU are calling from. On mobile phones and VoIP apps, use + instead.

| Calling from | Exit code | You dial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States / Canada | 011 | 011 27 ... |
| United Kingdom | 00 | 00 27 ... |
| Australia | 0011 | 0011 27 ... |
| Most of Europe | 00 | 00 27 ... |
| Japan | 010 | 010 27 ... |
| From a mobile / VoIP app | + | +27 ... |

## South Africa phone number format

Country code +27

Trunk prefix 0 (drop when dialing from abroad)

Example +27 11 234 5678

## Common mistakes

- ✕ Keeping the leading 0 when dialing from abroad. Drop it — it is only for domestic calls within South Africa.
- ✕ Using the wrong exit code. Each country has its own (US: 011, UK: 00). On mobile, just use +.
- ✕ Forgetting the country code +27. Without it, the call will fail or route locally.

## Calling rates to South Africa

Landline

$0.49/min

Mobile

$0.49/min

[Rate calculator and details](https://telvio.app/call/south-africa/)

## Country codes that get mistaken for +27

A wrong country code does not fail cleanly. It connects — to a stranger in another country — and it bills. These are the codes a caller most plausibly dials instead of +27 when calling South Africa.

- +20EgyptOne digit away[Guide](https://telvio.app/how-to-call/egypt/)
- +47NorwayOne digit away[Guide](https://telvio.app/how-to-call/norway/)
- +57ColombiaOne digit away[Guide](https://telvio.app/how-to-call/colombia/)

The reliable habit is to store South Africa numbers with the plus sign and the full code — +27 — rather than typing them each time. A number saved in full international form dials correctly from any country you happen to be in, and removes the whole class of mistake above.

## Calling out of South Africa

To dial an international number from inside South Africa, start with the exit code 00, then the destination country code, then the number without its own trunk prefix. The exit code belongs to the country you are calling FROM, not the one you are calling.

On a mobile, press and hold the 0 key until a plus sign appears and dial the number in full international form instead. The plus tells the network to work out the exit code itself, so the same saved number dials correctly whether you are at home or abroad — no need to remember 00 at all.

Within South Africa, calls between cities need the local area code as well. We list all 5 of them with the full dial string for each. [All 5 area codes](https://telvio.app/area-codes/south-africa/)

## When to call South Africa

What the clock reads in South Africa when it is mid-morning, early afternoon and evening where you are. Highlighted cells fall between 9:00 and 21:00 local time at the other end.

*Local time in South Africa for three common calling hours in five source cities*

| Calling from | Offset | 09:00 | 13:00 | 19:00 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New York | +7:00 | 16:00 | 20:00 | 02:00 |
| Los Angeles | +10:00 | 19:00 | 23:00 | 05:00 |
| London | +2:00 | 11:00 | 15:00 | 21:00 |
| Dubai | −2:00 | 07:00 | 11:00 | 17:00 |
| Sydney | −9:00 | 00:00 | 04:00 | 10:00 |

Offsets calculated for mid-January. Countries that observe daylight saving shift by an hour for part of the year — the planner works out today's offset from your own device.

## Other African destinations, cheapest first

Rates vary by more than a factor of ten inside a single region, because each one is set by what the operator at the far end charges to accept the call. Algeria is currently the cheapest place we publish a rate for near South Africa.

- [Algeria+213from $0.20](https://telvio.app/call/algeria/)
- [Egypt+20from $0.28](https://telvio.app/call/egypt/)
- [Nigeria+234from $0.32](https://telvio.app/call/nigeria/)
- [Kenya+254from $0.40](https://telvio.app/call/kenya/)
- [Cameroon+237from $0.43](https://telvio.app/call/cameroon/)
- [Morocco+212from $0.48](https://telvio.app/call/morocco/)
- [Senegal+221from $0.56](https://telvio.app/call/senegal/)
- [Ghana+233from $0.65](https://telvio.app/call/ghana/)

## Free tools

[All tools](https://telvio.app/tools/)

- [Price a call to South Africa Any length, at the published rate, with per-minute rounding shown beside it.](https://telvio.app/tools/call-cost-calculator/?c=south-africa)
- [Best time to call South Africa Your day and theirs, side by side, with today's daylight saving applied.](https://telvio.app/tools/best-time-to-call/?c=south-africa)
- [Online mic test Check your microphone level and hear yourself back before you dial.](https://telvio.app/tools/mic-test/)

## Frequently asked questions

What is the country code for South Africa?

The country code for South Africa is +27. Dial this after your exit code (or use + on a mobile) before the local number.

How do I call South Africa from the United States?

From a landline: dial 011 + 27 + the local number. From a mobile or a VoIP app like Telvio: dial +27 + the local number — the + works from any country without knowing its exit code.

Do I need to drop the leading 0 when calling South Africa?

Yes. South Africa uses 0 as a trunk prefix for domestic calls. When dialing internationally, drop the leading 0 from the local number.

What is the exit code to call South Africa from my country?

The exit code depends on where you are calling FROM, not the destination. The US uses 011, the UK and most of Europe use 00, Australia uses 0011. On any mobile phone or VoIP app, you can use + instead.

Can I call South Africa mobile phones internationally?

Yes. Dial the country code +27 followed by the mobile number (without the leading 0). VoIP apps like Telvio make this easy — just enter the full number with country code.

## Call South Africa with Telvio

Download free. First minute included, no registration needed.

[Download Telvio](https://telvio.app/download/)

Also for South Africa

- [Call rates & costs](https://telvio.app/call/south-africa/)
- How to call
- [Area codes](https://telvio.app/area-codes/south-africa/)

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[View all countries](https://telvio.app/how-to-call/)

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