Kenya to South Africa
-1hKenya
EATSOURCESouth Africa
SASTGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
EAT and SAST on the World Map
The map below highlights the EAT (East Africa Time) and SAST (South Africa Standard Time) timezone regions across the globe.
EAT – East Africa Time
UTC+03:00East Africa Time (EAT) is the time zone for East Africa, 3 hours ahead of UTC.
- •Nairobi is a major tech hub in Africa, often called 'Silicon Savannah'.
- •Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which is 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.
- •EAT is the same offset as MSK (Moscow Time).
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.
Understanding the -1h Gap: Kenya vs South Africa
Kenya runs on East Africa Time (EAT) at UTC+03:00. South Africa runs on South Africa Standard Time (SAST) at UTC+02:00. That puts Kenya 1 hour behind South Africa — a difference of -1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in Kenya it is 8:00 AM in South Africa. Midnight in Kenya is 11:00 PM in South Africa. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
Kenya to South Africa time conversion table
| Kenya (EAT) | South Africa (SAST) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM | previous day |
| 6:00 AM | 5:00 AM | same day |
| 7:00 AM | 6:00 AM | same day |
| 8:00 AM | 7:00 AM | same day |
| 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM | same day |
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | same day |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | same day |
| 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | same day |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | same day |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | same day |
Why people convert Kenya to South Africa time
- Scheduling a call from Kenya to South Africa: a 10:00 AM start in Kenya lands at 9:00 AM in South Africa, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both Kenya and South Africa are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM EAT time (9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Watching a live event or market open: Kenya viewers need 8:00 AM in South Africa to catch a 9:00 AM start there, and 1:00 AM if the event is anchored to Kenya.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM EAT" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a -1h gap is not.
- Block 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from Kenya and need South Africa colleagues present.
About EAT (East Africa Time)
East Africa Time (EAT) is used in the countries of East Africa including Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and others. EAT does not observe daylight saving time and shares the same offset as Moscow Standard Time (MSK).
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.
Best time to call between Kenya and South Africa
Both Kenya and South Africa sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT, which is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
Kenya and South Africa share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
Kenya is 1 hour behind South Africa (EAT UTC+03:00 → SAST UTC+02:00). The shared working window is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT. 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 Kenya and South Africa?
Kenya (EAT, UTC+03:00) is 1 hour behind South Africa (SAST, UTC+02:00). The gap is currently -1h.
How do I convert Kenya time to South Africa time?
Add -1h to Kenya local time. For example, 9:00 AM in Kenya is 8:00 AM in South Africa.
What time is it in South Africa right now?
South Africa uses SAST 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 Kenya.
What is the best time to call South Africa from Kenya?
Call between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM EAT — that maps to 9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is behind, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya is 1 hour behind South Africa. When it is 12:00 PM in Kenya it is 11:00 AM in South Africa.
Do Kenya and South Africa use different time zones?
Kenya (Kenya) uses EAT at UTC+03:00, while South Africa (South Africa) uses SAST at UTC+02:00. The IANA identifiers are Africa/Nairobi and Africa/Johannesburg.
Does daylight saving time affect the Kenya–South Africa difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the -1h offset between Kenya and South Africa is fixed all year.
Which other cities share Kenya's time zone?
EAT also covers Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Mogadishu, Antananarivo.
Which countries use EAT, Kenya's zone?
EAT is used in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Madagascar, Eritrea, Djibouti.
Is there a day difference between Kenya and South Africa?
Not normally. The -1h gap only pushes the date over the previous day.
What is the time difference between Kenya and South Africa?
South Africa is -1h from Kenya.
What timezone is Kenya in?
Kenya operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is South Africa in?
South Africa operates on its local timezone.
Which countries use EAT (East Africa Time)?
EAT is used in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Madagascar, and 2 more countries.
Does EAT observe daylight saving time?
No, EAT does not observe daylight saving time and remains at UTC+03:00 year-round.
What are some interesting facts about EAT?
Nairobi is a major tech hub in Africa, often called 'Silicon Savannah'. Ethiopia uses its own calendar, which is 7-8 years behind the Gregorian calendar.
Which cities are in the SAST timezone?
Major cities in the SAST timezone include Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth.
What is the UTC offset for SAST?
South Africa Standard Time (SAST) is at UTC+02:00.
What should I know about the SAST timezone?
South Africa does not observe daylight saving time. SAST is the same offset as EET and Israel Standard Time.
When is it midnight in Kenya, what time is it in South Africa?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in Kenya (EAT), it is -1h later in South Africa (SAST).
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