Buy a South African Virtual Phone Number

Toll-free 800 — Free for callers from any South African phone. Best for customer service lines, support desks and enquiry lines where you want to remove any cost barrier. A worldwide address is accepted.

National 87 — A non-geographic number that works across all of South Africa. Not tied to any city, making it ideal for businesses that serve the entire country rather than a specific region. A worldwide address is accepted.

Local geographic — City-specific numbers that carry a recognisable area code. An 11 number says Johannesburg, a 21 says Cape Town, a 31 says Durban. Best for businesses targeting specific cities or wanting to appear locally established. Requires a South African address.

For most businesses entering the South African market, an 87 national number is the simplest starting point — no South African address needed, and it covers the whole country. Add a local Johannesburg or Cape Town number later if you want a city-specific presence.

South African numbers use a trunk prefix 0 for domestic calls, followed by the area code and subscriber number. When displaying internationally, drop the 0 and add the country code +27:

Local example (Johannesburg): 011 234 5678 domestically, +27 11 234 5678 internationally

National example: 087 123 4567 domestically, +27 87 123 4567 internationally

Toll-free example: 0800 123 456 domestically, +27 800 123 456 internationally

On your website, always show the international format with +27 so both South African and international visitors can dial correctly. In advertising targeting South African audiences, use the domestic format with the trunk prefix 0.

You choose a South African number — toll-free 800, national 87 or local geographic — and tell us where to forward calls. We activate the number, typically within one business day. When someone in South Africa dials your number, the call routes through our network and reaches you on your landline, mobile or VoIP system. The caller pays standard South African rates (or nothing, for toll-free) and your team answers as if they were in Johannesburg.

You manage everything through your online account: change forwarding destinations, set opening hours, configure a phone menu or enable voicemail. No hardware, no installation, no South African office required.

CallFactory has been providing international phone numbers since 2000. Established in the Netherlands with Dutch management, we serve thousands of businesses across Europe, the Americas and Africa. Our platform handles millions of call minutes each year, and our network is built for reliability and call quality.

We work with licensed South African carriers to ensure number availability and call routing quality. When you need support, our team is available by phone and email during European business hours.

Our platform is designed for companies that need international numbers without international complexity. You get your own account, pricing in euros, and a support team that understands the needs of businesses operating in international markets.

Adding a South African number takes minutes. You can combine it with numbers in other countries — across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific — and manage them all from a single dashboard. Scale up or down as your South African business evolves.

South African telecommunications is regulated by ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa). South African phone numbers are issued through licensed carriers in compliance with ICASA regulations and the Electronic Communications Act.

Toll-free 800 and national 87 numbers accept a worldwide address. Local geographic numbers require a South African address. CallFactory works with licensed carriers to handle the regulatory requirements on your behalf.

Getting started takes minutes, not months. Choose your South African number type, provide the required details, and we activate your number — typically within one business day. There are no long-term contracts, no setup fees for most number types, and no minimum call volumes. Start with a single 87 national number and add local city numbers or a toll-free line as your South African presence grows.