Working hours in South Africa
Offices in South Africa typically run 08:00–17:00 local time, Monday to Friday. That is about 45 hours a week across 5 working days.
The week in South Africa
- Mon 08:00–17:00
- Tue 08:00–17:00
- Wed 08:00–17:00
- Thu 08:00–17:00
- Fri 08:00–17:00
- Sat off
- Sun off
When can you reach South Africa?
We use the time zone your browser reports. Change it if that is not where you work — the hours below are yours, not UTC.
Working with South Africa
Hours you share with South Africa, computed from each country's own working day rather than a blanket nine-to-five.
- 9hGermany08:00–17:00 there · 08:00–17:00 hereThe difference moves +1 h on 25 October.
- 7.5hIndia11:30–19:00 there · 08:00–15:30 here
- 7hthe United Kingdom09:00–16:00 there · 10:00–17:00 hereThe difference moves +1 h on 25 October.
- 4hChina14:00–18:00 there · 08:00–12:00 here
- 3hJapan15:00–18:00 there · 08:00–11:00 here
- 2hthe United States09:00–11:00 there · 15:00–17:00 hereThe difference moves +1 h on 1 November.
- 0hAustraliano shared working hoursThe difference moves +1 h on 3 April.
What this changes when you schedule
South Africa keeps the Saturday and Sunday weekend, so the days line up with most of Europe and the Americas.
The day also runs earlier than the nine-to-five most tools assume: 08:00–17:00 rather than 09:00–17:00.
A national convention for offices. Individual employers, shift work and retail vary.
Sources and last check
Times, offsets and sun positions on this page are computed live from the IANA timezone database and the NOAA solar algorithm, so they do not depend on the review dates below.
- Working hours and weekend days for 55 countries
- Source: Published national labour conventions and government working-hours guidance. Last checked, reviewed every 12 months.
Not covered:A national convention, not any given employer. Countries not listed fall back to a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday default, and pages say so rather than implying we checked.
FAQ
What are normal working hours in South Africa?
08:00–17:00 local time is the usual office day, about 9 hours.
What days is the working week in South Africa?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. The rest days are Saturday and Sunday.
Is Saturday a working day in South Africa?
No. Saturday is a rest day in South Africa.
Is Sunday a working day in South Africa?
No. Sunday is a rest day in South Africa.