South Africa to China
+6hSouth Africa
SASTSOURCEChina
CSTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
SAST and CST on the World Map
The map below highlights the SAST (South Africa Standard Time) and CST (China Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
SAST – South Africa Standard Time
UTC+02:00South Africa Standard Time (SAST) is the time zone for South Africa and neighboring countries, 2 hours ahead of UTC.
- •South Africa does not observe daylight saving time.
- •SAST is the same offset as EET and Israel Standard Time.
- •The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is Africa's largest.
CST – China Standard Time
UTC+08:00China Standard Time (CST) covers all of mainland China, 8 hours ahead of UTC.
- •China uses a single time zone despite spanning 5 geographical zones.
- •In Xinjiang (western China), sunset can be as late as midnight in summer.
- •China abolished daylight saving time in 1991.
- •The Shanghai Stock Exchange operates on CST/Beijing Time.
Everything You Need to Know About South Africa and China Time
South Africa runs on South Africa Standard Time (SAST) at UTC+02:00. China runs on China Standard Time (CST) at UTC+08:00. That puts South Africa 6 hours ahead of China — a difference of +6h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in South Africa it is 3:00 PM in China. Midnight in South Africa is 6:00 AM in China. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
South Africa to China time conversion table
| South Africa (SAST) | China (CST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day |
| 6:00 AM | 12:00 PM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 1:00 PM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 2:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 3:00 PM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 6:00 PM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 9:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 11:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 12:00 AM | next day |
| 9:00 PM | 3:00 AM | next day |
Why people convert South Africa to China time
- Scheduling a call from South Africa to China: a 10:00 AM start in South Africa lands at 4:00 PM in China, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both South Africa and China are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM SAST time (3:00 PM–5:00 PM CST). That is roughly 2 hours of usable overlap.
- Booking travel or deliveries: tracking China local time against South Africa keeps pickup windows and arrival estimates honest across the +6h offset.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM SAST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +6h gap is not.
- Block 9:00 AM–11:00 AM SAST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from South Africa and need China colleagues present.
About SAST (South Africa Standard Time)
South Africa Standard Time (SAST) is used in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. SAST does not observe daylight saving time. Johannesburg and Cape Town are major economic hubs in Africa.
About CST (China Standard Time)
China Standard Time (CST, also known as Beijing Time) is used across all of mainland China despite the country spanning five geographical time zones. This single-timezone policy was adopted in 1949. China does not observe daylight saving time. CST is shared with Hong Kong (HKT), Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, making UTC+08:00 one of the most used offsets in the world.
Best time to call between South Africa and China
Both South Africa and China sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–11:00 AM SAST, which is 3:00 PM–5:00 PM CST. That gives roughly 2 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
South Africa and China overlap for about 2 hours during the working day — enough for meetings if you avoid the edges of the window.
South Africa is 6 hours ahead of China (SAST UTC+02:00 → CST UTC+08:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–11:00 AM SAST. 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 South Africa and China?
South Africa (SAST, UTC+02:00) is 6 hours ahead of China (CST, UTC+08:00). The gap is currently +6h.
How do I convert South Africa time to China time?
Add +6h to South Africa local time. For example, 9:00 AM in South Africa is 3:00 PM in China.
What time is it in China right now?
China uses CST at UTC+08:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the +6h offset from South Africa.
What is the best time to call China from South Africa?
Call between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM SAST — that maps to 3:00 PM–5:00 PM CST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is ahead, South Africa or China?
South Africa is 6 hours ahead of China. When it is 12:00 PM in South Africa it is 6:00 PM in China.
Do South Africa and China use different time zones?
South Africa (South Africa) uses SAST at UTC+02:00, while China (China) uses CST at UTC+08:00. The IANA identifiers are Africa/Johannesburg and Asia/Shanghai.
Does daylight saving time affect the South Africa–China difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the +6h offset between South Africa and China is fixed all year.
Which other cities share South Africa's time zone?
SAST also covers Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth.
Which countries use SAST, South Africa's zone?
SAST is used in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini.
Is there a day difference between South Africa and China?
Not normally. The +6h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.
What is the time difference between South Africa and China?
China is +6h from South Africa.
What timezone is South Africa in?
South Africa operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is China in?
China operates on its local timezone.
Which countries use SAST (South Africa Standard Time)?
SAST is used in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini.
Does SAST observe daylight saving time?
No, SAST does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+02:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about SAST?
South Africa does not observe daylight saving time. SAST is the same offset as EET and Israel Standard Time.
Which cities are in the CST timezone?
Major cities in the CST timezone include Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Taipei, Wuhan.
What is the UTC offset for CST?
China Standard Time (CST) is at UTC+08:00.
What should I know about the CST timezone?
China uses a single time zone despite spanning 5 geographical zones. In Xinjiang (western China), sunset can be as late as midnight in summer.
When is it midnight in South Africa, what time is it in China?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in South Africa (SAST), it is +6h later in China (CST).
Related Developer Tools
Explore more tools that work great with timezone conversions for international teams:
Related Timezone Conversions
More South Africa time conversions
- south africa to johannesburg
- south africa to sast
- south africa to new york
- south africa to london
- south africa to dubai
- south africa to tokyo
- south africa to singapore
- south africa to sydney
- south africa to los angeles
- south africa to paris
- south africa to delhi
- south africa to mumbai
- south africa to berlin
- south africa to hong kong
- south africa to toronto
- south africa to kathmandu
- new york to south africa
- london to south africa
- dubai to south africa
- tokyo to south africa
- singapore to south africa
- sydney to south africa
- los angeles to south africa
- paris to south africa
- delhi to south africa
- mumbai to south africa
- berlin to south africa
- hong kong to south africa
- toronto to south africa
- kathmandu to south africa
See every conversion from South Africa →·See every conversion from China →