South Africa ZIP Code: What to Enter on International Forms
South Africa has no ZIP codes as such, but overseas checkout forms still ask for one. What to type in the ZIP, state and city fields so your order arrives.
If you have ordered from an overseas shop, you have probably met a form asking for a “ZIP code” and a “State”. South Africa uses neither term, but both fields have a clear South African equivalent, and getting them right makes a real difference to whether a parcel arrives.
The short answer
Your South African ZIP code is your four-digit postal code. Use the street code of the suburb you want the parcel delivered to. An address in Sandton, for example, uses 2196, and an address in central Cape Town uses 8001. There is no single ZIP code for the whole country.
How to fill in each field
| Form field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Address line 1 | Street number and street name |
| Address line 2 | Unit and complex or estate, then the suburb |
| City | City or town |
| State, province or region | Your province |
| ZIP or postcode | The four-digit street code |
| Country | South Africa |
| Phone | Mobile number starting with +27, without the first 0 |
What if the form wants five digits?
Some forms are built around US addresses and reject anything that is not five digits. There is no official five-digit version of a South African postal code. First check that the country is set to South Africa, since that often switches the form to the right format. Some people add a zero in front of the code to get past the check. That can work, but the four-digit code is the real one, so make sure the suburb and city on the order are correct, and contact the shop if you are unsure.
Which “state” should you choose?
Choose one of the nine provinces. If you are not sure which province a town is in, the postal code is a good guide, because each province has its own blocks of codes:
| Province | Code blocks | Suburbs |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 0001 to 0299 and 1400 to 2199 | 9,506 |
| North West | 0300 to 0499 and 2500 to 2899 | 987 |
| Limpopo | 0500 to 0999 | 929 |
| Mpumalanga | 1000 to 1399 and 2200 to 2499 | 1,268 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 2900 to 4730 | 2,296 |
| Eastern Cape | 4731 to 6499 | 2,151 |
| Western Cape | 6500 to 8099 | 2,426 |
| Northern Cape | 8100 to 8999 | 471 |
| Free State | 9300 to 9999 | 886 |
A few border towns break the pattern. Our guide to postal code ranges by province lists them.
Tips for international deliveries
- Use your street address, not a PO Box. Most international couriers cannot deliver to a PO Box.
- Include the suburb. The city alone is not enough for a courier to route the parcel.
- Keep your phone handy. Couriers and customs agents in South Africa often contact the recipient by SMS, email or WhatsApp before delivery.
- Make sure the name on the order matches your ID document, in case duties or VAT have to be paid before release.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ZIP code for South Africa?
There is no single code for the country. Each suburb and town has its own four-digit postal code, and that is what goes in the ZIP field. Search for your suburb to find yours.
Is a postal code the same as a postcode?
Yes. Postal code, postcode and ZIP code all mean the same thing on forms. South African codes have four digits.
What is the ZIP code for Johannesburg?
Central Johannesburg uses 2001 for street addresses and 2000 for PO Boxes, but every suburb has its own code. See our list of Johannesburg postal codes.