Current Africa/Johannesburg time
The clock shows South Africa Standard Time. It reads the same on 1 January and 1 July because the offset is fixed at UTC+2. South Africa does not observe daylight saving time; the country abandoned its last DST trial in 1980 and no clock changes are programmed in the IANA database through at least 2038.
IANA zone details: UTC+2, no DST
- IANA zone identifier: Africa/Johannesburg
- Standard time name: South Africa Standard Time (SAST)
- UTC offset: UTC+2, fixed
- Daylight saving: None
Africa/Johannesburg covers every city, town and village in South Africa. The country spans roughly 1,600 kilometres east to west yet runs on a single zone.
Countries and cities covered
This zone applies to all of South Africa. Major cities include:
- Cape Town (population 4,772,846), coordinates 33.9°S, 18.4°E, elevation 25 m
- Johannesburg, the reference city after which the zone is named
- Durban
- Pretoria (national capital)
- Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit
No other country uses Africa/Johannesburg. Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini also run on UTC+2 but under the Central Africa Time (CAT) identifier.
Is Africa/Johannesburg the same as CAT or EAT?
| Zone | IANA identifier | UTC offset | DST? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa/Johannesburg | South Africa | UTC+2 | No |
| Africa/Lagos | Nigeria, Angola | UTC+1 | No |
| Africa/Nairobi | Kenya, Tanzania | UTC+3 | No |
| Africa/Cairo | Egypt | UTC+2 | Yes (summer) |
| Africa/Casablanca | Morocco | UTC+1 | Yes (Ramadan exceptions) |
Same offset, different zone. CAT (Central Africa Time) and SAST both sit at UTC+2, but they are distinct IANA identifiers. EAT (East Africa Time) runs one hour ahead at UTC+3. Egypt shifts its clocks for summer; Morocco adjusts around Ramadan. South Africa does neither.
Time differences from Cape Town (SAST) on two dates
On 15 January 2026:
| City | Difference from SAST |
|---|---|
| New York | 7 hours behind |
| Los Angeles | 10 hours behind |
| Chicago | 8 hours behind |
| London | 2 hours behind |
| Paris | 1 hour behind |
| Dubai | 2 hours ahead |
| Mumbai | 3.5 hours ahead |
| Singapore | 6 hours ahead |
| Tokyo | 7 hours ahead |
| Sydney | 9 hours ahead |
| São Paulo | 5 hours behind |
On 15 July 2026:
| City | Difference from SAST |
|---|---|
| New York | 6 hours behind |
| Los Angeles | 9 hours behind |
| Chicago | 7 hours behind |
| London | 1 hour behind |
| Paris | Same time |
| Dubai | 2 hours ahead |
| Mumbai | 3.5 hours ahead |
| Singapore | 6 hours ahead |
| Tokyo | 7 hours ahead |
| Sydney | 8 hours ahead |
| São Paulo | 5 hours behind |
The gap with Europe shrinks by one hour in July. Europe moves its clocks forward; South Africa does not. The offset between Cape Town and São Paulo stays fixed at five hours year-round.
Cape Town sunrise and sunset through 2026
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 March (equinox) | 06:49 | 18:59 | 12 h 11 min |
| 21 June (winter solstice) | 07:50 | 17:44 | 9 h 53 min |
| 22 September (equinox) | 06:36 | 18:41 | 12 h 5 min |
| 21 December (summer solstice) | 05:31 | 19:56 | 14 h 25 min |
The shortest day is in June. The longest is in December. That single inversion trips up visitors from the Northern Hemisphere more than anything else.
What time zone details matter for Africa/Johannesburg?
- Zone name: Africa/Johannesburg
- Offset: UTC+2, all year
- DST: None
- Applies to: Every city in South Africa, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria
- Abbreviation: SAST (South Africa Standard Time)
- Not the same as: CAT (same offset, different zone), EAT (one hour ahead), WAT (one hour behind)
For public holidays, business hours and school terms, see the linked guides.