This free South African phone number checker shows whether a number is valid.
A South African phone number checker tells you whether a number is real, which means it follows South Africa's numbering rules and is assigned. Enter a +27 number above and 1Lookup's free checker returns valid or invalid in seconds, with the line type and country, checked against South Africa's numbering plan.
Pick the country, then enter the number without the country code.
Free & rate-limited. No signup required to try.
- Country code
- +27
- Mobile numbers
- 9 digits after +27, or 10 written at home, starting 06, 07 or 08
- Landlines
- 9 digits after +27, starting 01, 02, 03, 04 or 05, such as +27Â 10Â XXXÂ XXXX
- Written at home
- 071 123 4567
- Written for apps and SMS
- +27711234567
- Dialed from the US
- 011 27 71 123 4567
A South African mobile number is +27 followed by 9 digits, and the first one is 6, 7 or 8.
Written with the country code
- +27Country code
- 7Mobile start
- 1 123 45678 more digits
Written at home
- 0Replaces +27
- 7Mobile start
- 1 123 45678 more digits
The +27 and the 0 do the same job, so a number is never written with both.
A South African phone number checker reads a number's format first and then checks it against South Africa's numbering plan.
This is the path one check takes. A number can be written correctly and still not be assigned to anyone, so the format check alone is not the answer.
- You enter the numberType it the way it is written at home, such as 071 123 4567, or paste it with +27.
- Its format is checkedEach type of number has its own rules. A mobile needs 9 digits after +27 and starts with 06, 07 or 08 at home.
- It is checked against the numbering planNumbers outside the US and Canada are checked against the numbering plan of their country, which for this page is South Africa's.Nothing is sent to the number, so it never rings and its owner is never told.
- You see valid or invalidWith the line type and country in a few seconds, and the carrier or network where one is listed.
A South African mobile number has 9 digits after +27 and starts with 06, 07 or 08.
These lengths come from the numbering data for South Africa. A mobile number has 10 digits when it is written at home with its 0. The numbering data also lists shorter numbers, of 5 to 8 digits, in the 081 to 084 ranges, and two smaller mobile ranges, 019 and 050.
| Number type | Starts with at home | Digits after +27 | Written at home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 06, 07 or 08 | 9 | 071 123 4567 |
| Landline | 01, 02, 03, 04 or 05 | 9 | 010 XXX XXXX |
Three common mistakes make a South African number fail the check, and each one is quick to fix.
Keeping the 0 after +27 adds a digit.
The 0 is only for dialing inside South Africa, so +27 071 123 4567 is wrong. Drop the 0 and write +27 71 123 4567.
Typing too few or too many digits makes a number invalid.
A mobile number has 9 digits after +27. With 8 or 10, look for a missing or doubled digit.
Leaving the wrong country selected changes how the number is read.
The checker reads a number by the rules of the country selected above, so keep South Africa selected for a +27 number. Paste a number with its + and country code and the country is read from the number itself.
These are the questions people ask most about checking South African phone numbers.
How do I check if a South African phone number is valid?
Enter the number in the box above with South Africa selected. The free checker returns valid or invalid in seconds, with the line type and country. Type it the way it is written at home, such as 071 123 4567, or in full as +27 71 123 4567.
How many digits is a South African phone number?
A mobile number has 9 digits after +27, or 10 written at home. A landline has 9 digits after +27, such as +27 10 XXX XXXX.
What does a South African mobile number start with?
Mobile numbers start with 06, 07 or 08 at home, which is 6, 7 or 8 after +27.
How do I write a South African number for an app or an SMS tool?
Use the E.164 form: a plus sign, 27, then the number without its leading 0 and no spaces, such as +27711234567.
Does the South African phone number checker show the carrier?
It shows the carrier or network where one is listed. Numbers outside the US and Canada are checked against the numbering plan of their country rather than live carrier data, so some come back with no carrier name.
Does valid mean the South African number is active?
No. Valid means the number is real, correctly written for South Africa and assigned. Whether a line is switched on and reachable right now is a different question, and the free HLR lookup answers it.
Can I check a whole list of South African phone numbers?
Yes. This free tool checks one number at a time. A 7-day free trial opens CSV upload and the API, at 1 credit a number.
Does the person know I checked their number?
No. The check reads records only. No call or text goes to the number, so its owner is never told.
What are the landline area codes of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban?
At home the codes are 011 for Johannesburg, 021 for Cape Town and 031 for Durban. From abroad the 0 is dropped, so Johannesburg is +27 11. The area code is part of a landline's digits, and a mobile number has none.
You can check numbers from other countries on their own pages.
- +61Australian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Australia
- +1Canadian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Canada
- +44UK phone number checkerCheck numbers from the UK
- +353Irish phone number checkerCheck numbers from Ireland
- +91Indian phone number checkerCheck numbers from India
- +65Singapore phone number checkerCheck numbers from Singapore
- +234Nigerian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Nigeria
- +64New Zealand phone number checkerCheck numbers from New Zealand
- +60Malaysian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Malaysia
- +66Thai phone number checkerCheck numbers from Thailand
- +63Philippine phone number checkerCheck numbers from the Philippines
- +254Kenyan phone number checkerCheck numbers from Kenya
- +233Ghanaian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Ghana
- +971UAE phone number checkerCheck numbers from the UAE
- +92Pakistani phone number checkerCheck numbers from Pakistan
- +880Bangladeshi phone number checkerCheck numbers from Bangladesh
- +94Sri Lankan phone number checkerCheck numbers from Sri Lanka
- +852Hong Kong phone number checkerCheck numbers from Hong Kong
- +256Ugandan phone number checkerCheck numbers from Uganda
- +255Tanzanian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Tanzania
- +260Zambian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Zambia
- +356Maltese phone number checkerCheck numbers from Malta
- +357Cypriot phone number checkerCheck numbers from Cyprus
- +31Dutch phone number checkerCheck numbers from the Netherlands
- +49German phone number checkerCheck numbers from Germany
- +62Indonesian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Indonesia
- +966Saudi phone number checkerCheck numbers from Saudi Arabia
- +251Ethiopian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Ethiopia
- +962Jordanian phone number checkerCheck numbers from Jordan
These free tools answer the next question about a number.
- The +27 country code pageHow to dial South Africa, the time there now and the landline places.
- HLR lookupCheck whether a mobile number is switched on and reachable right now.
- Line type lookupSee whether a number is a mobile, a landline or VoIP.
- Carrier lookupFind the carrier or network behind a number.
- Phone validator for any countryThe same check with the country picker open to every country.
- Phone validation APIRun the same check from your own software, one request per number.
Sources: Google's libphonenumber numbering data for lengths, mobile starts and landline starts, as of September 24, 2026; the ITU list of country codes.