Call India from South Africa

Call India from South Africa: Phone Number Formats

To make an international phone call from RSA to India, you need to dial a phone number formatted correctly for either a landline or mobile phone as follows:

Dial India Landline Phone from RSA

00	91	aaa	nnn nnnn
international access code	country code	area code	local subscriber number

Call India Mobile Phone from RSA

00	91	9x xxx xxxxx
international access code	country code	10-digit mobile number

Click here for more on India landline vs. mobile phone numbers.

Call India from South Africa: Dialing Procedure

Follow this dialing procedure to make an overseas international call from South Africa to a landline or mobile phone number in India.

1. Dial South Africa int'l access code / IDD:  00

Note that some mobile operators may not require an IDD and/or allow use of substitute characters (such as '+') in lieu of an IDD.

2. Dial India country code:  91 

Dial country code +91 to reach any location in India. Country codes are also known as ISDs or international subscriber dialing codes.

3. Confirm that you have a 10-digit local subscriber number

All India local subscriber numbers are 10-digits long, so confirm that you have such a number. If you don't, then the next steps may correct the problem. If not, you will somehow need to get a valid 10-digit number. More on local subscriber numbers, including differences between landline and mobile numbers.

4. If you have an 11-digit local subscriber number starting with '0', remove the '0'

If your India destination phone number starts with a '0' - e.g., 080 45481800 or 094 451 23456, delete the '0'. The '0' is required only for domestic long distance calls (NLD calls).

5. Determine if calling to a landline or a mobile phone

India landline and mobile phone numbers are formatted differently. Landline numbers contain both an area code and a local subscriber number. Mobile numbers are always 10-digits and do not require a separate area code. Check here to learn how to tell landline numbers from mobile phone numbers.

6. If calling an India landline phone number...

India landline numbers consist of an area code and a local subscriber number with 10-digits in total. The numbers are written in a variety of ways - sometimes separating the area code, sometimes not. If you have a 10-digit number, you can simply dial it. If not, you may need to lookup the area code first.

a. Dial the regional area code:  aaa 

India area codes range from 2-digits to 4-digits depending on the location. Only a few of the largest cities have 2-digits codes. If your phone number doesn't include the area code, lookup India area codes here.

b. Dial the local subscriber number:  nnn nnnn

India local subscriber numbers range from 5-digits to 8-digits, depending on the length of the area code. When combined, the total number of digits must be 10.

India doesn't have great online phone directories, but you may be able to find an India phone number here.

7. If calling an India mobile phone number...

Simply dial the 10-digit mobile number:  9x xxx xxxxx

All mobile phones in India have 10-digits and start with '9'. No area code should be dialed.