Calling and Communication – How to Call To and From SA
You’ll be pleased to find out that South Africa has a very well-developed communications infrastructure with over five mobile phone service providers that has nationwide coverage as well as fixed-line phone networks.
So how do I make an international call to and from South Africa, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth or Durban?
There’s no substitute for being prepared and this is never more true than when travelling on any motorcycle tour in South Africa or in the world. To help you we’ve provided an extensive list of how to call using a wide variety of extensions, countries and area codes.
For fast feedback on our motorbike tours and rentals make an enquiry here.
How to Call Out of South Africa
To phone out of South Africa you can use various methods of communication.
- We have many internet cafes to do Skype calls or send emails.
- Coin- or card-operated public phones can be used by buying a phone card from certain shops, the post office or at the airport.
- You can activate the ‘international roaming’ function via your mobile service provider and use your mobile phone.
- You can also buy an affordable South African sim card to get a South African number, with which you can make calls in South Africa.
Dialing instructions for Making Internationals Calls from SA
CountryCode.Org: Top Resource for Country Codes, Phone Codes, Dialing Codes, Telephone Codes, ISO Country Codes.
- Dial the International Direct Dialing (IDD) number.
- Dial the Country Code.
- Dial the city/area code.
- Dial the phone number you are calling.
How to Call USA from SA
- 00 – 1 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 1 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
For E.g;
| 0 | 1 | 123 | 1234567 |
| IDD | COUNTRY CODE | CITY CODE | PHONE NUMBER |
How to Call Germany from SA
- 00 – 49 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 49 – 11 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call the UK from SA
- 00 – 44 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 44 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call China from SA
- 00 – 86 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 86 – 11 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call Netherlands from SA
- 00 – 31 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 31 – 9 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call Australia from SA
- 00 – 61 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 61 – 9 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call India from SA
- 00 – 91 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 91 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call Canada from SA
- 00 – 1 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 1 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call Brazil from SA:
- 00 – 55 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 55 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
How to Call Switzerland from SA
- 00 – 41 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 41 – 12 Digit Mobile Number
How to call Portugal from SA
- 00 – 351 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 00 – 351 – 9 Digit Mobile Number
You can find a list of international dialing codes in Telkom’s Phone Book. Calls are cheaper after 8pm and before 8am Monday – Friday and between 8pm on Friday and 8am on Monday.
How to Call Into South Africa
How do I call South Africa, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth or Durban from abroad? How to dial internationally. In South Africa, each city or mobile network has its own area code. Most mobile phones (cellphones) have the “+” sign on the same key as “0”. To call internationally from most mobile or smart phones simply dial the “+” sign. Dialing Instructions to Call into South Africa
- Dial the International Direct Dialing (IDD) number.
- Dial the Country Code.
- Dial the city/area code.
- Dial the phone number you are calling.
For E.g;
How to Call South Africa from USA
- 011 – 27 – Area Code – Land Phone Number
- 011 – 27 – 10 Digit Mobile Number
| 11 | 27 | 123 | 1234567 |
| IDD | COUNTRY CODE | CITY CODE | PHONE NUMBER |
- South Africa’s international country code is +27. This usually takes the place of the 0 in the 3 digit area code.
- For Cape Town’s area code is 021, you would dial (+27)21 and then the 7 digit phone number code.
How to Call While in South Africa
How do I call a South African destination or number, while in South Africa? If you make a call within South Africa, you will need to include the area or mobile network code at the front of the number. This means that the number will start with a 0, instead of +27.
- Landline: E.g. 0(national prefix) +21(area code) +7 digit phone number = 021 123 4567
- Mobile(Cellphone): E.g. 072(service provider) +7 digit mobile-phone number = 072 123 4567
List of South African mobile and landline service providers:
- Cell C (Pty) Ltd – Mobile – https://www.cellc.co.za/
- MTN – Mobile – https://wegotu.mtn.co.za/
- Telkom S.A. Ltd – Fixed – http://www.telkom.co.za/
- Vodacom (Pty) Ltd – Mobile – https://www.vodacom.com/
Click here for an extensive list of area and mobile network codes for SA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_South_Africa
Local Phone Directories
Telkom has two print directories to search for landline numbers.
- The Phone Book for residential subscribers.
- The Yellow Pages for businesses, services and products.
Click here for more information:
- The Yellow Pages: https://www.yellowpages.co.za/
- The White Pages: http://www.whitepages.co.za/
- Telkom’s extensive list of major city area codes and city calling codes: https://group.telkom.co.za/about_us/regulatory/sa-dialing-codes.shtml
South African Area Codes
| Area | Code |
| Cape Town | 21 |
| Durban | 31 |
| Johannesburg | 11 |
| Pretoria | 12 |
| Soweto | 51 |
| Port Elizabeth | 41 |
| Pietermaritzburg | 33 |
| Benoni | 11 |
| Vereeniging | 16 |
| Bloemfontein | 51 |
Contact GS Africa today for any more information or queries and we would love to be of assistance to ensure that you motorcycle rental or bike travel experience is as smooth and hassle-free as possible. Find Motorcycle Rentals for Tours in Cape Town, South Africa
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