South Africa phone number format
South Africa phone numbers use the country code +27. A mobile number looks like 071 123 4567 inside South Africa and +27 71 123 4567 from abroad: the leading 0 is dropped after +27. Mobiles have 5 to 9 digits after the country code, and the E.164 form is +27711234567.
South Africa number format at a glance
| Country calling code | +27 |
|---|---|
| International prefix (calling out of South Africa) | 00 |
| Trunk prefix (domestic dialling) | 0 |
| Mobile number length | 5 to 9 digits after +27 |
| Landline number length | 9 digits after +27 |
| Mobile vs landline from the digits | Yes, separate ranges |
Example South Africa phone numbers
These are the example numbers from Google’s libphonenumber data, the same numbering-plan data our validator uses, written three ways.
| Format | Mobile | Landline |
|---|---|---|
| National (inside South Africa) | 071 123 4567 | 010 123 4567 |
| International | +27 71 123 4567 | +27 10 123 4567 |
| E.164 | +27711234567 | +27101234567 |
How to write a South Africa number in E.164
- Remove spaces, dashes, dots and brackets so only digits are left.
- If the number starts with the trunk prefix 0, remove it. It is only used when dialling inside South Africa.
- Put +27 in front. The result has 5 to 9 digits after the country code for a mobile.
So 071 123 4567 becomes +27711234567. E.164 is the format SMS gateways, dialers and most CRMs store; see the E.164 format explained for why.
Mobile or landline?
South Africa allocates separate number ranges to mobiles and landlines, so a numbering-plan check reads the line type straight from the digits, for free. That type describes the range the number came from. It doesn’t prove the number is connected today.
Validate a list of South Africa numbers
Check a single number with the free phone number validator. For a whole file, upload the CSV to the verifier: every row gets a status, the E.164 number, the country and the line type, and emails in the same file get a live mailbox check. The Email + Phone plan ($49.99 a month) adds 5,000 live carrier lookups a month for the real line type and current carrier.
Common questions
- What is the country code for South Africa?
- The country calling code for South Africa is +27. When you call South Africa from abroad, dial your international prefix (or +) followed by 27 and the number without its leading 0.
- How many digits is a South Africa phone number?
- A South Africa mobile number has 5 to 9 digits after the country code +27, and a landline has 9. Written for dialling inside South Africa, a number gains the trunk prefix 0 in front.
- How do I write a South Africa number in international format?
- Start with +27, drop the leading 0, then add the rest of the number. The mobile number 071 123 4567 becomes +27 71 123 4567, or +27711234567 in E.164, the form most CRMs and SMS tools expect.
- Can you tell if a South Africa number is a mobile?
- Usually, yes. South Africa numbers come from ranges allocated separately to mobiles and landlines, so a numbering-plan check reads the line type from the digits. It tells you what the range is for, not whether the number is in service.
That was one number. Your CRM export has thousands.
This tool checks one number at a time. Cleaning a list means every row in E.164, invalid numbers separated out, and the emails beside them checked too.
- Upload a CSV up to 100,000 rows with an email or phone column
- Every phone gets status, E.164 format, country and line type
- Emails in the same file get a real SMTP mailbox check
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