South Africa to Nairobi
+1hSouth Africa
SASTSOURCENairobi
EATGreen rows indicate typical business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
SAST and EAT on the World Map
The map below highlights the SAST (South Africa Standard Time) and EAT (East Africa 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.
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).
About Nairobi
WikipediaNairobi operates on East Africa Time (EAT), UTC+3. As the tech hub of Africa (Silicon Savannah), Nairobi leads African fintech and mobile innovation.
Nairobi National Park is the only national park within a capital city, with lions visible against the skyline.
South Africa vs Nairobi: Offsets, DST and Best Call Times
South Africa runs on South Africa Standard Time (SAST) at UTC+02:00. Nairobi runs on East Africa Time (EAT) at UTC+03:00. That puts South Africa 1 hour ahead of Nairobi — a difference of +1h at the current offsets.
In practice, when it is 9:00 AM in South Africa it is 10:00 AM in Nairobi. Midnight in South Africa is 1:00 AM in Nairobi. Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them stays constant all year.
South Africa to Nairobi time conversion table
| South Africa (SAST) | Nairobi (EAT) | 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 South Africa to Nairobi time
- Scheduling a call from South Africa to Nairobi: a 10:00 AM start in South Africa lands at 11:00 AM in Nairobi, so you can confirm the slot without doing the arithmetic yourself.
- Finding shared working hours: both South Africa and Nairobi are inside the 9-to-5 working day between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM SAST time (10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT). That is roughly 7 hours of usable overlap.
- Booking travel or deliveries: tracking Nairobi local time against South Africa keeps pickup windows and arrival estimates honest across the +1h offset.
- Always state the zone abbreviation, not just the hour. "3:00 PM SAST" is unambiguous; "3 PM" across a +1h gap is not.
- Block 9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST as the recurring meeting window if you work primarily from South Africa and need Nairobi 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 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).
Best time to call between South Africa and Nairobi
Both South Africa and Nairobi sit inside the 9 AM – 5 PM working day between 9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST, which is 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT. That gives roughly 7 hours of shared time — the safest window for a live call or meeting.
Business hours overlap
South Africa and Nairobi share 7 hours of working-hours overlap (9:00 AM–4:00 PM SAST), so scheduling a live meeting is straightforward.
South Africa is 1 hour ahead of Nairobi (SAST UTC+02:00 → EAT UTC+03:00). The shared working window is 9:00 AM–4:00 PM 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 Nairobi?
South Africa (SAST, UTC+02:00) is 1 hour ahead of Nairobi (EAT, UTC+03:00). The gap is currently +1h.
How do I convert South Africa time to Nairobi time?
Add +1h to South Africa local time. For example, 9:00 AM in South Africa is 10:00 AM in Nairobi.
What time is it in Nairobi right now?
Nairobi uses EAT at UTC+03:00. Use the live converter at the top of this page — it updates in real time and already accounts for the +1h offset from South Africa.
What is the best time to call Nairobi from South Africa?
Call between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM SAST — that maps to 10:00 AM–5:00 PM EAT and keeps both parties inside the working day.
Which is ahead, South Africa or Nairobi?
South Africa is 1 hour ahead of Nairobi. When it is 12:00 PM in South Africa it is 1:00 PM in Nairobi.
Do South Africa and Nairobi use different time zones?
South Africa (South Africa) uses SAST at UTC+02:00, while Nairobi (Kenya) uses EAT at UTC+03:00. The IANA identifiers are Africa/Johannesburg and Africa/Nairobi.
Does daylight saving time affect the South Africa–Nairobi difference?
Neither zone observes daylight saving time, so the +1h offset between South Africa and Nairobi 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 Nairobi?
Not normally. The +1h gap only pushes the date over for late-evening times.
What is the time difference between South Africa and Nairobi?
Nairobi is +1h from South Africa.
What timezone is South Africa in?
South Africa operates on its local timezone.
What timezone is Nairobi in?
Nairobi operates on East Africa Time (EAT), UTC+3. As the tech hub of Africa (Silicon Savannah), Nairobi leads African fintech and mobile innovation.
What are the business hours in Nairobi?
Standard business hours in Nairobi are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EAT.
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 EAT timezone?
Major cities in the EAT timezone include Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Mogadishu, Antananarivo.
What is the UTC offset for EAT?
East Africa Time (EAT) is at UTC+03:00.
What should I know about the EAT timezone?
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.
When is it midnight in South Africa, what time is it in Nairobi?
When it is 12:00 AM (midnight) in South Africa (SAST), it is +1h later in Nairobi (EAT).
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