Understanding South Africa's Phone Number System

Overview

South Africa's telephone numbering plan is structured to support both domestic and international communication. This guide covers number formats, dialing procedures, and regulatory aspects, providing valuable insights for telecom professionals, developers, and systems administrators.

Quick Facts

• Country: South Africa
• Country Code: +27
• International Prefix: 00
• National Prefix: 0
• Regulatory Body: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

Number Formats

General Number Structure

South Africa uses a closed numbering plan with a standard length of 9 digits for most numbers. The format includes:

• Country Code: +27
• National Prefix: 0 (for domestic calls)
• Subscriber Number: 9 digits

Geographic (Landline) Numbers

Geographic numbers are tied to specific regions or cities. They follow this format:

• Format: 0AA XXXX XXX
  • AA: Area code (2 digits)
  • XXXX XXX: Subscriber number (7 digits)

Examples:

• Johannesburg: 011 123 4567
• Cape Town: 021 987 6543

Mobile Numbers

Mobile numbers start with specific prefixes that identify the mobile network operator.

• Format: 0MXX XXX XXX
  • M: Mobile operator identifier (ranges from 6 to 8)
  • XX XXX XXX: Subscriber number

Examples:

• MTN: 083 123 4567
• Vodacom: 082 987 6543

Toll-Free Numbers

Toll-free numbers start with 080 and are 10 digits long.

• Format: 080 XXX XXXX
  • 080: Toll-free prefix
  • XXX XXXX: Subscriber number

Examples:

• 080 123 4567
• 080 987 6543

Premium Rate Numbers

These numbers start with 086 or 090-096 and are used for services with higher charges.

• Format: 086X XXX XXX or 09X XXX XXXX
  • 086: Premium rate prefix
  • 09X: Premium rate prefix (X can be 0-6)
  • XXX XXX: Subscriber number

Examples:

• 0861 234 567
• 0901 987 6543

Shared Cost Numbers

Shared cost numbers distribute call costs between caller and recipient, starting with 0860.

• Format: 0860 XXX XXX
  • 0860: Shared cost prefix
  • XXX XXX: Subscriber number

Examples:

• 0860 123 456
• 0860 987 654

Emergency Numbers

For emergencies, use these short codes:

• Emergency Services: 10111
• Ambulance: 10177

Dialing Procedures

Domestic Calls

• Landline to Landline: Dial 0 + Area Code + Subscriber Number (e.g., 011 123 4567 for Johannesburg).
• Landline to Mobile: Dial 0 + Mobile Number (e.g., 083 123 4567).
• Mobile to Mobile: Dial the full mobile number (e.g., 083 123 4567).
• Mobile to Landline: Dial 0 + Area Code + Subscriber Number.

International Calls

• Outgoing International Calls: Dial 00 + Country Code + National Number (e.g., 00 1 212 555 1234 for a call to the USA).
• Incoming International Calls: Dial +27 + National Number (omit the leading 0).

Number Portability

South Africa supports number portability for both mobile and geographic numbers, allowing subscribers to retain their numbers when switching providers. The process typically takes up to seven working days.

Major Telecom Operators and Number Ranges

Mobile Network Operators

Operator	Prefixes	Example Number
MTN	083, 073	083 123 4567
Vodacom	082, 076	082 987 6543
Cell C	084, 074	084 123 4567
Telkom	081, 061	081 234 5678

Landline Providers

Region	Area Code	Example Number
Johannesburg	011	011 123 4567
Cape Town	021	021 987 6543
Durban	031	031 234 5678
Pretoria	012	012 345 6789

ITU-T Recommendations

South Africa adheres to the ITU-T E.164 recommendation for international telecommunication numbering, ensuring global interoperability of telephone numbers.

Number Allocation and Management

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is responsible for the allocation and management of telephone numbers, ensuring compliance with national and international standards.

Technical Considerations

Regular Expressions for Validation

Here are regex patterns for validating South African phone numbers:

• Geographic (Landline) Numbers:

  ^0[1-5][0-9]{2} [0-9]{3} [0-9]{4}$
  

• Mobile Numbers:

  ^0(6|7|8)[0-9]{2} [0-9]{3} [0-9]{4}$
  

• Toll-Free Numbers:

  ^080 [0-9]{3} [0-9]{4}$
  

• Premium Rate Numbers:

  ^086[1-9] [0-9]{3} [0-9]{3}$|^09[0-6] [0-9]{3} [0-9]{4}$
  

Number Blocking and Special Cases

While ICASA may impose restrictions on number blocking or golden numbers, developers should account for these when designing systems interacting with South African phone numbers.