How to Call South Africa from the US?

Paras Kela

6 years ago

South Africa has a highly developed economy. It is one of the largest exporters of gold, platinum, and other natural resources. Besides, it is a great country for starting a new venture or expanding an existing one considering that it has a relatively high GDP per capita compared to the other neighboring countries in the Sub-Saharan African region.

And, given that you are reading this, we are assuming you have already set up an office in South Africa or are planning to do so. To run the business successfully, you will need to contact your customers and give them a way to reach you too. Therefore, let’s look at how to call South Africa from the US without any more ado.

Follow these 4 steps to call South Africa from the USA

Step 1: Enter the US International Exit Code

Every country has a unique exit code that enables people to dial outside the country. To call South Africa from the US, you will need the US international exit code, i.e., 011.

Step 2: Enter the South Africa Country Code

Just like the exit code, every country has a unique code that permits you to gain the access that you require to call. In the case of South Africa, it is 27. Make sure to use it after the US international exit code.

Step 3: Enter the code for the specific geographic area in South Africa that you need to call

South Africa has a different two-digit code for each particular area in the country. It is essential to use them to connect your call to that region.

For example, if you want to call Johannesburg from the US, you will need to dial the area code for Johannesburg, i.e., 11.

Here is a list of the area codes for important regions in South Africa:

Cape Town: 21
Durban: 31
Johannesburg: 11
Pretoria: 12
Port Elizabeth: 41
Benoni: 11
Soweto: 51
Bloemfontein: 51
Vereeniging: 16
Pietermaritzburg: 33

Step 4: Enter the seven-digit phone number you wish to call

South Africa uses a standard seven-digit number for mobile phones and landlines. So, make sure you have that number.

Your format for making the call to South Africa (Johannesburg) from the US will look something like this:

011-27-11-XXXX-XXX

That’s easy, right? But if you are a business making hundreds of calls, simply picking a phone and following the steps will be expensive, not to mention the hassle you’ll have to go through.

So, our best advice is to use a virtual phone number.

Why Use a Virtual Phone Number to call South Africa?

Virtual phone numbers help you create a local presence for your business in South Africa (actually anywhere in the world). Virtual phone numbers make it easy for you to connect with your customers in South Africa at minimal costs.

Virtual phone numbers usually run on business phone systems, which route calls through the internet. This means you won’t need any hardware (except desktop or smartphone) to make calls to South Africa from the US.

Here are some reasons to use a virtual phone number for your business:

Cost-effective: International calls invite high costs, especially if you make long calls. With a business phone system, you can significantly lower your costs.

Highly Scalable: As your business grows, you will need to make calls to more and more people. With virtual phone numbers, you can scale up or down as and when required.

Improved Call Quality: Virtual phone numbers usually route calls through business phone systems, ensuring clearer voice quality and eliminating disruptions.

Feature Rich: Business phone systems are packed with powerful features, such as a power dialer, call recording, advanced analytics, on-hold music, and more.

Appear Local: You can have virtual phone numbers based out of South Africa. This means your prospects would see a local number when you call them. That is definitely gonna build trust!

Wrapping Up

While making calls to South Africa from the US isn’t complicated. But, you would need a business phone system, virtual phone numbers to be precise, to make hundreds of calls each day without being worried about the costs.

Harness CallHippo’s business phone systems to reach out to your prospects in South Africa and boost conversions. Happy Calling!