How to Address a Letter or Parcel in South Africa (With Examples)

A South African address runs from the most specific detail to the most general and ends with the postal code. Follow the order below and both the Post Office and couriers will be able to read it at a glance. The names in the examples are made up.

The correct order

1. Recipient’s name, and company name if there is one
2. Unit or flat number, and the complex, estate or building name
3. Street number and street name
4. Suburb
5. City or town
6. Postal code

The province is optional for local mail, although some online forms ask for it. Put the postal code on its own line or on the same line as the city.

Street address examples

PO Box and private bag examples

Notice the codes. Central Durban’s PO Box code is 4000 while its street code is 4001, and Sandton’s box code 2146 is different from its street code 2196. Our guide to street codes and PO Box codes explains why.

Sending mail to South Africa from overseas

Use the same layout and add the country in capital letters on the last line:

Tips that help couriers

• Include a phone number on parcels. Drivers often phone ahead at complexes and estates with access control.
• Always give the complex or estate name and the unit number. A street number on its own often leads to a gate, not a front door.
• Write the suburb, not only the city. Couriers sort by suburb and postal code first.
• Avoid unusual abbreviations. St, Rd and Ave are fine; shortened suburb names are not.
• Add a return address on the back of the envelope or in the top left corner.

Filling in online forms

South African checkout forms usually split an address into street address, suburb, city, province and postal code. Put the complex and unit in the first line or in “Address line 2”. For overseas sites that ask for a state or ZIP code, see our South Africa ZIP code guide. Not sure of the code? Look it up here:

Frequently asked questions