ACST to CAT
-7h 30mACST
ACSTSOURCECAT
CATGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
ACST and CAT on the World Map
The map below highlights the ACST (Australian Central Standard Time) and CAT (Central Africa Time) timezone regions across the globe.
ACST – Australian Central Standard Time
UTC+09:30Australian Central Standard Time (ACST, UTC+09:30) covers South Australia and the Northern Territory, on a half-hour offset.
- •ACST uses a half-hour offset: UTC+09:30.
- •South Australia moves to ACDT (UTC+10:30) in summer; the Northern Territory does not.
- •Adelaide and Darwin are 30 minutes apart during daylight saving, level in winter.
- •Adelaide is one of the few major cities on a 30-minute offset.
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.
Everything You Need to Know About ACST and CAT Time
ACST runs on Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) at UTC+09:30. CAT runs on Central Africa Time (CAT) at UTC+02:00. That puts ACST 7 hours 30 minutes behind CAT — a difference of -7h 30m at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in ACST it is 1:30 AM in CAT. Midnight in ACST is 4:30 PM in CAT. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
ACST to CAT time conversion table
| ACST (ACST) | CAT (CAT) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 4:30 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 10:30 PM | previous day |
| 7:00 AM | 11:30 PM | previous day |
| 8:00 AM | 12:30 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 1:30 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 4:30 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 7:30 AM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 9:30 AM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 10:30 AM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 1:30 PM | same day |
Why people convert ACST to CAT time
- Scheduling a call from ACST to CAT: a 10:00 AM start in ACST lands at 2:30 AM in CAT, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both ACST and CAT are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM ACST time (9:00 AM–9:30 AM CAT). That is roughly 0 hours 30 minutes of usable overlap.
- Watching a live event or market open: ACST viewers need 1:30 AM in CAT to catch a 9:00 AM start there, and 7:30 AM if the event is anchored to ACST.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM ACST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -7h 30m gap is not.
- Block 4:30 PM–5:00 PM ACST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from ACST and need CAT colleagues present.
About ACST (Australian Central Standard Time)
Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) is the half-hour offset of UTC+09:30 used across South Australia and the Northern Territory, taking in Adelaide and Darwin. South Australia moves to Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT, UTC+10:30) from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, but the Northern Territory does not observe daylight saving — so Adelaide and Darwin sit 30 minutes apart in summer and level with each other in winter. The half-hour offset means Adelaide is 30 minutes behind Sydney in winter and level with it during daylight saving, which regularly catches out travellers and meeting planners.
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 ACST and CAT
Both ACST and CAT sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 4:30 PM–5:00 PM ACST, which is 9:00 AM–9:30 AM CAT. That gives roughly 0 hours and 30 minutes of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
ACST and CAT overlap for only 30 minutes (4:30 PM–5:00 PM ACST), so meetings have to be booked precisely.
ACST is 7 hours 30 minutes behind CAT (ACST UTC+09:30 → CAT UTC+02:00). The shared working window is 4:30 PM–5:00 PM ACST. Remember to re-check around daylight-saving transitions.
🕐 Daylight Saving Time Info
ACST
❄ Currently in Standard Time
Standard: UTC+09:30 · DST: UTC+10:30
Clocks spring forward on Sat, Oct 3, 2026
CAT
Does not observe DST
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 ACST and CAT?
ACST (ACST, UTC+09:30) is 7 hours 30 minutes behind CAT (CAT, UTC+02:00). The gap is currently -7h 30m.
How do I convert ACST time to CAT time?
Add -7h 30m to ACST local time. For example, 9:00 AM in ACST is 1:30 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 -7h 30m offset from ACST.
What is the best time to call CAT from ACST?
Call between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM ACST — that maps to 9:00 AM–9:30 AM CAT and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, ACST or CAT?
ACST is 7 hours 30 minutes behind CAT. When it is 12:00 PM in ACST it is 4:30 AM in CAT.
Does daylight saving time affect the ACST–CAT difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the -7h 30m offset between ACST and CAT is fixed all year.
Which other cities share ACST's time zone?
ACST also covers Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Mount Gambier.
Which countries use ACST, ACST's zone?
ACST is used in Australia (South Australia, Northern Territory).
Is there a day difference between ACST and CAT?
Not normally. The -7h 30m gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between ACST and CAT?
CAT is -7h 30m from ACST.
What timezone is ACST in?
ACST operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is CAT in?
CAT operates on its local timezone.
Which countries use ACST (Australian Central Standard Time)?
ACST is used in Australia (South Australia, Northern Territory).
Does ACST observe daylight saving time?
Yes, ACST switches to ACDT during summer months.
What are some interesting facts about ACST?
ACST uses a half-hour offset: UTC+09:30. South Australia moves to ACDT (UTC+10:30) in summer; the Northern Territory does not.
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 ACST, what time is it in CAT?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in ACST (ACST), it is -7h 30m later in CAT (CAT).
Related Developer Tools
Explore more tools that work great with timezone conversions for international teams:
Related Timezone Conversions
More ACST time conversions
- acst to new york
- acst to london
- acst to dubai
- acst to tokyo
- acst to singapore
- acst to sydney
- acst to los angeles
- acst to paris
- acst to delhi
- acst to mumbai
- acst to berlin
- acst to hong kong
- acst to toronto
- acst to kathmandu
- new york to acst
- london to acst
- dubai to acst
- tokyo to acst
- singapore to acst
- sydney to acst
- los angeles to acst
- paris to acst
- delhi to acst
- mumbai to acst
- berlin to acst
- hong kong to acst
- toronto to acst
- kathmandu to acst
See every conversion from ACST →·See every conversion from CAT →