WAT to CAT
+1hWAT
WATSOURCECAT
CATGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
WAT and CAT on the World Map
The map below highlights the WAT (West Africa Time) and CAT (Central Africa Time) timezone regions across the globe.
WAT – West Africa Time
UTC+01:00West Africa Time (WAT) is the time zone for West and Central Africa, 1 hour ahead of UTC.
- •Lagos, Nigeria is the most populous city in Africa.
- •WAT is the same offset as CET (UTC+01:00).
- •Nigeria does not observe daylight saving time.
CAT – Central Africa Time
UTC+02:00Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+02:00) covers Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and neighbouring countries.
- •Central Africa Time is fixed at UTC+02:00 with no daylight saving.
- •CAT matches South Africa Standard Time (SAST) all year.
- •It is the same offset as Central European Time in winter.
- •Harare is level with Johannesburg and one hour ahead of Lagos.
Time Conversion Guide: WAT to CAT
WAT runs on West Africa Time (WAT) at UTC+01:00. CAT runs on Central Africa Time (CAT) at UTC+02:00. That puts WAT 1 hour ahead of CAT — a difference of +1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in WAT it is 10:00 AM in CAT. Midnight in WAT is 1:00 AM in CAT. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
WAT to CAT time conversion table
| WAT (WAT) | CAT (CAT) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 1:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 10:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert WAT to CAT time
- Scheduling a call from WAT to CAT: a 10:00 AM start in WAT lands at 11:00 AM in CAT, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both WAT and CAT are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM WAT time (10:00 AM–5:00 PM CAT). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Keeping family and friends in sync: knowing that 8:00 PM in WAT is 9:00 PM in CAT makes it easy to avoid calling at 3 AM.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM WAT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +1h gap is not.
- Block 9:00 AM–4:00 PM WAT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from WAT and need CAT colleagues present.
About WAT (West Africa Time)
West Africa Time (WAT) is used across much of West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. WAT does not observe daylight saving time and shares the same offset as Central European Time (CET).
About CAT (Central Africa Time)
Central Africa Time (CAT) is fixed at UTC+02:00 all year across a broad belt of southern and central Africa, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. None of these countries observes daylight saving time, so CAT never shifts. It is the same offset as South Africa Standard Time (SAST) and the winter version of Central European Time, which makes CAT a convenient bridge between African, European and Middle Eastern schedules — Harare is level with Johannesburg all year and one hour ahead of Lagos.
Best time to call between WAT and CAT
Both WAT and CAT sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–4:00 PM WAT, which is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CAT. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
WAT and CAT share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (9:00 AM–4:00 PM WAT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
WAT is 1 hour ahead of CAT (WAT UTC+01:00 → CAT UTC+02:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM WAT. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
Learn More About Time
Dive deeper into the fascinating world of timekeeping, time zones, and how they shape our global society:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between WAT and CAT?
WAT (WAT, UTC+01:00) is 1 hour ahead of CAT (CAT, UTC+02:00). The gap is currently +1h.
How do I convert WAT time to CAT time?
Add +1h to WAT local time. For example, 9:00 AM in WAT is 10:00 AM in CAT.
What time is it in CAT right now?
CAT uses CAT at UTC+02:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the +1h offset from WAT.
What is the best time to call CAT from WAT?
Call between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM WAT — that maps to 10:00 AM–5:00 PM CAT and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is ahead, WAT or CAT?
WAT is 1 hour ahead of CAT. When it is 12:00 PM in WAT it is 1:00 PM in CAT.
Does daylight saving time affect the WAT–CAT difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the +1h offset between WAT and CAT is fixed all year.
Which other cities share WAT's time zone?
WAT also covers Lagos, Abuja, Douala, Yaoundé, Luanda, Kinshasa, Brazzaville.
Which countries use WAT, WAT's zone?
WAT is used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Angola, Niger, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea.
Is there a day difference between WAT and CAT?
Not normally. The +1h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.
What is the time difference between WAT and CAT?
CAT is +1h from WAT.
What timezone is WAT in?
WAT operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is CAT in?
CAT operates on its local timezone.
Which countries use WAT (West Africa Time)?
WAT is used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Angola, Niger, and 2 more countries.
Does WAT observe daylight saving time?
No, WAT does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+01:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about WAT?
Lagos, Nigeria is the most populous city in Africa. WAT is the same offset as CET (UTC+01:00).
Which cities are in the CAT timezone?
Major cities in the CAT timezone include Harare, Lusaka, Maputo, Lilongwe, Kigali.
What is the UTC offset for CAT?
Central Africa Time (CAT) is at UTC+02:00.
What should I know about the CAT timezone?
Central Africa Time is fixed at UTC+02:00 with no daylight saving. CAT matches South Africa Standard Time (SAST) all year.
When is it midnight in WAT, what time is it in CAT?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in WAT (WAT), it is +1h later in CAT (CAT).
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See every conversion from WAT →·See every conversion from CAT →