South African Telephone Numbering Plan
Encyclopedia
Country Code: +27
International Call Prefix: 00
Trunk Prefix
: 0
South Africa
has switched to a closed numbering system. From 16 January 2007 it became mandatory to dial the full 10 digit telephone number including the three-digit area code even for local calls. The trunk prefix
is still '0', with the system generally organised geographically. All telephone numbers are 10 digits long (including the 3 for area code), except for certain Telkom special services. When dialed from another country, the '0' is omitted and replaced with the appropriate international access code.
Numbers were initially allocated when South Africa had four provinces, meaning that ranges are now split across the current nine provinces.
00: International access code effective from 16 October 2006 and mandatory from 16 January 2007.
01: The old Transvaal
province, currently comprising Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and part of the North West:
02: Western and Northern Cape:
03: KwaZulu-Natal:
04: Eastern Cape and eastern parts of the Western Cape:
05: Free State and Northern Cape
06: Currently unused. Was South-West Africa (now Namibia
) until 1992, when direct dialling was discontinued. and replaced by international dialling with the +264 country code. For example, for a call from South Africa to Windhoek
, before and after 1992:
07: Cellular
08: Special services
Note that since 10 November 2006, mobile number portability
was introduced in the cellular market. The cellular prefixes as above are therefore not strictly applicable anymore although they remain mostly unchanged.
09: Old International access code no longer in use.
There are still some non-automated exchanges which use longer dialing codes, mostly for 'Farm Lines' and remote areas with operator assisted exchanges.
International Call Prefix: 00
Trunk Prefix
Trunk prefix
A trunk prefix is the number to be dialed in a domestic telephone call, preceding any necessary area codes and subscriber numbers. When the number is called from overseas, the trunk prefix is omitted by the caller. In most countries, such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, the trunk...
: 0
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
has switched to a closed numbering system. From 16 January 2007 it became mandatory to dial the full 10 digit telephone number including the three-digit area code even for local calls. The trunk prefix
Trunk prefix
A trunk prefix is the number to be dialed in a domestic telephone call, preceding any necessary area codes and subscriber numbers. When the number is called from overseas, the trunk prefix is omitted by the caller. In most countries, such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom, the trunk...
is still '0', with the system generally organised geographically. All telephone numbers are 10 digits long (including the 3 for area code), except for certain Telkom special services. When dialed from another country, the '0' is omitted and replaced with the appropriate international access code.
Numbers were initially allocated when South Africa had four provinces, meaning that ranges are now split across the current nine provinces.
00: International access code effective from 16 October 2006 and mandatory from 16 January 2007.
01: The old Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
province, currently comprising Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and part of the North West:
- 010: New overlay planOverlay planIn telephony, especially in North America, an overlay plan is the practice of introducing a new area code by applying it onto a geographic area that is already occupied by one or more existing area codes, resulting in two area codes serving the same area.- Methodology :Prior to the introduction of...
announced for Johannesburg (proposed November 2001) - 011: WitwatersrandWitwatersrandThe Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
region aroundGreater Johannesburg Metropolitan AreaThe Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area is the name of the area surrounding the city of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It includes Johannesburg and the areas of the East Rand and West Rand. It is often referred to as the Witwatersrand, or Rand, after a low mountain range that runs through the...
JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, currently code for entire Greater Johannesburg - 012: PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
and surrounding towns (also includes BritsBrits, North WestBrits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus, vegetable and grain-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and...
) - 013: Eastern GautengGautengGauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
(Bronkhorstspruit) and Western and northern Mpumalanga: MiddelburgMiddelburg, MpumalangaMiddelburg is a large farming and industrial town in the South African province of Mpumalanga.Middelburg was established as Nasareth, , in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal...
, WitbankWitbankWitbank , also known as eMalahleni is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the eMalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested...
and NelspruitRustenburg, North WestRustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... - 014: Northern North West and Southwestern Limpopo: RustenburgRustenburg, North WestRustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa...
and ModimolleModimolleModimolle is a town located near the southern edge of the Waterberg Massif in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is a medium sized town that focuses primarily on agriculture and farming as well as wildlife and tourism... - 015: Northern and Eastern Limpopo: PolokwanePolokwanePolokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
- 016: Vaal TriangleVaal TriangleThe Vaal Triangle is a triangular area of land formed by Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg - together they comprise a substantial urban complex in South Africa...
: Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and SasolburgSasolburgSasolburg is a large industrial town in the far north of the Free State province of South Africa. Sasolburg is further sub-divided into three areas: Sasolburg proper, Vaalpark and Zamdela...
, which constitutes an anomaly, since Sasolburg isn't the old TransvaalTransvaal ProvinceTransvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
. - 017: Southern Mpumalanga: Ermelo
- 018: Southern North West: PotchefstroomPotchefstroom, North WestPotchefstroom is an academic city in the North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University...
and KlerksdorpKlerksdorp, North WestKlerksdorp is a city and administrative district located in the North West Province, South Africa.-History:The city was founded in 1837 when the Voortrekkers settled on the banks of the Schoonspruit , which flows through the town...
02: Western and Northern Cape:
- 021: Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
metropole and surrounds, including Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Gordon's BayGordon's BayGordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town to the south of the N2 national road and is named after Robert Jacob Gordon , the Dutch explorer of Scottish descent... - 022: BolandBolandBoland is a Irish surname . It may refer to:-People:Boland is a surname of Irish origin. The name refers to:*Adam Boland , Australian television personality...
and West Coast: MalmesburyMalmesbury, Western CapeMalmesbury is a town with 37,529 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 65 km north of Cape Town.The town is the largest in the Swartland due to the dark "Renosterbos" , an indigenous plant that turns black in the warm, dry summers... - 023: WorcesterWorcester, Western CapeWorcester is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is located 120 km north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg....
and greater KarooKarooThe Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
, including Beaufort WestBeaufort WestBeaufort West is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and forms part of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, with 37 000 inhabitants in 2001.... - 024: Somerset West (Became 021 in 1996)
- 027: Namaqualand (Northern Cape): VredendalVredendal, Western CapeVredendal is a town in the northern Olifants River Valley and southern Namaqualand districts in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the administrative and commercial center for the surrounding area and is the seat of the Matzikama Local Municipality with a population of 13,666...
, CalviniaCalviniaCalvinia is a regional town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa named after the Swiss religious reformer John Calvin. The town belongs to the Hantam Local Municipality which forms part of the Namakwa District Municipality. The Calvinia district is part of the Great Karoo region of South...
, Clanwilliam, Springbok, Alexander BayAlexander Bay, Northern CapeAlexander Bay is a town in the extreme north-west of South Africa, also known as the region of Little Namaqualand. It is located on the southern bank of the Orange River mouth. It was named for Sir James Alexander, who was the first person to map the area whilst on a Royal Geographical Society...
, Port NollothPort NollothPort Nolloth is a town and domestic seaport in the Namaqualand region on the northwestern coast of South Africa, 89 miles northwest of Springbok.... - 028: Southern region: SwellendamSwellendamSwellendam is the third oldest town in the Republic of South Africa, a town with 28,072 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 National monuments most of them buildings of Cape Dutch architecture....
and CaledonCaledon, Western CapeCaledon is a town in the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located about east of Cape Town. it had a population of 10,650. It is located in, and the seat of, the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality....
/ HermanusHermanusHermanus is a town with 49,000 inhabitants on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous as a place from which to watch Southern Right whales, during the southern winter and spring and is a popular retirement town...
region.
03: KwaZulu-Natal:
- 031: DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
- 032: KZN North coast region: Stanger
- 033: PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands - 034: Vryheid, NewcastleNewcastle, KwaZulu-NatalNewcastle is the third largest city and urban center in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Newcastle is located in the North West corner of the province along the Ncandu River and is moderately industrial....
and Northern KZN - 035: Zululand region: St. LuciaGreater St. Lucia Wetland ParkiSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa about 275 kilometres north of Durban. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the St Lucia estuary, and...
, Richards Bay - 036: DrakensbergDrakensbergThe Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
region: LadysmithLadysmith, KwaZulu-NatalLadysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production... - 039: South coast: Port Shepstone and interior, and Eastern Pondoland (in Eastern Cape)
04: Eastern Cape and eastern parts of the Western Cape:
- 040: Bhisho
- 041: Port ElizabethPort Elizabeth, Eastern CapePort Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa...
and UitenhageUitenhageUitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced by English speakers and in Afrikaans... - 042: Southern region: HumansdorpHumansdorpHumansdorp is a small town and surrounding district in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, with a population of around 35,000 . It is part of the Kouga Local Municipality of the Cacadu District. The town is the centre of the district's light industry and farming...
- 043: East London and surrounds
- 044: Garden RouteGarden RouteThe Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...
, including Oudtshoorn, KnysnaKnysnaKnysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
, Plettenberg BayPlettenberg BayPlettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...
, Mossel BayMossel BayMossel Bay is a harbour town of about 130,000 people on the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province...
and GeorgeGeorge, Western CapeGeorge is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :... - 045: Central region: QueenstownQueenstown, Eastern CapeQueenstown, named after Queen Victoria, is a town in the middle of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, roughly half way in between the towns of Cathcart and Sterkstroom. It is currently the commercial, administrative, and educational centre of the prosperous surrounding farming district...
- 046: Southern region: GrahamstownGrahamstownGrahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
- 047: MthathaMthathaMthatha is the main town of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town has an airport, previously known by the name K. D. Matanzima Airport after former leader Kaiser Matanzima....
/ most of previous TranskeiTranskeiThe Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa... - 048: Northern region: SteynsburgSteynsburgSteynsburg is a small town in the Ukhahlamba District Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.-Road:Steynsburg is located on the intersection of the R56 and R390....
- 049: Western region: Graaff-Reinet
05: Free State and Northern Cape
- 051: Central and southern region: BloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, and Aliwal NorthAliwal NorthAliwal North is a town in central South Africa on the Orange River, Eastern Cape Province. Aliwal North is the seat of the Maletswai Local Municipality which falls within the Ukhahlamba District Municipality....
in E Cape - 053: Kimberley, eastern part of Northern Cape, far west of NW province
- 054: Upington, Gordonia region
- 056: Northern Free State: KroonstadKroonstadKroonstad is the third-largest town in the Free State province of South Africa, and lies two hours drive from Gauteng. In the 1991 census it had a population of 110,963...
- 057: Northern Free State: WelkomWelkomWelkom is a city in the Free State province of South Africa, located 160 kilometres northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital. Welkom received municipal status in 1961 and was declared a city in 1968 on the 14th of February...
(Goldfields region) - 058: Eastern Free State: Bethlehem
06: Currently unused. Was South-West Africa (now Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
) until 1992, when direct dialling was discontinued. and replaced by international dialling with the +264 country code. For example, for a call from South Africa to Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, before and after 1992:
- Before 1992: 061 xxx xxxx
- After 1992: 09 26461 xxx xxxx
- After Jan 2007: 00 26461 xxx xxxx
07: Cellular
- 0710: MTN (spill-over from 083)
- 0711 - 0716: VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
(spill-over from 082) - 0717 - 0719: MTN (spill-over from 083)
- 072: VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
(spill-over from 082) - 073: MTN (spill-over from 083)
- 074: Cell CCell CCell C is South Africa’s third cell network after Vodacom and MTN, and the first cellular provider operating a dual band GSM 900/1800 MHz network, with over 7,4-million subscribers according to recent reports in Business Day and myadsl...
(Cell C has allocated 0741 to Virgin Mobile) - 0741: Virgin MobileVirgin MobileVirgin Mobile is a brand used by many mobile phone service providers across the globe; its headquarters are based in the United Kingdom. Virgin Mobile has local operations in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Greece, United Kingdom and the United States. It briefly also had operations...
as of June 2006 http://www.virginmobile.co.za/ - 076: VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
(spill-over from 082) - 078: MTN (spill-over from 083)
- 079: VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
(spill-over from 082)
08: Special services
- 080: FreeCall, Toll-free, called party pays
- 0811 - 0814: Telkom Mobile (8ta8ta8ta is a South African mobile telecommunications company. 8ta was launched in October 2010 and is owned by Telkom. 8ta phone numbers use the 0811 to 0814 dialling prefixes...
) - 082: Cellular: VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
- 083: Cellular: MTN
- 084: Cellular: Cell CCell CCell C is South Africa’s third cell network after Vodacom and MTN, and the first cellular provider operating a dual band GSM 900/1800 MHz network, with over 7,4-million subscribers according to recent reports in Business Day and myadsl...
- 085: Cellular: USAL license holders - Vodacom and MTN have some prefixes out of this range for their USAL offerings
- 086: Sharecall, MaxiCall and premium-rate services, calls can be routed to regional offices automatically
- 0860: Sharecall Land line callers pay local call, called party pays long distance if applicable
- 0861: MaxiCall caller always pay long distance for call even if routed to local office
- 0862 - 9: Premium rate caller pays increasing rate linked to last digit
- 0862, 0865, 0866, 08673, 08774, 08676: Fax to Email caller always pay increasing rate linked to last digits
- 08622, 086294: Competition lines caller always pay premium rate
- 08671 - 08674: Information services caller always pay increasing rate linked to last digit
- 087: Value-added services (VoIP http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=964 among others)
- 088: Pagers and Telkom CallAnswer voicemailVoicemailVoicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
- 089: Maxinet, for polls and radio call-in services
Note that since 10 November 2006, mobile number portability
Mobile number portability
Mobile number portability enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.- General overview :MNP is implemented in different ways across the globe...
was introduced in the cellular market. The cellular prefixes as above are therefore not strictly applicable anymore although they remain mostly unchanged.
09: Old International access code no longer in use.
There are still some non-automated exchanges which use longer dialing codes, mostly for 'Farm Lines' and remote areas with operator assisted exchanges.
External links
- Press release regarding number changes from the Telkom website