How to use this list
The table shows the time zone abbreviations used in Africa, sorted by UTC offset from west to east. Each row gives:
- Abbreviation: the short code as it appears in schedules, tickets and device settings.
- Name: the full name of the zone.
- Offset: the time difference from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- Regions: the places that use it, with a flag when the abbreviation is a daylight time, used only part of the year.
Type into Filter abbreviations to find a code, a name or an offset such as +3 or −5. The By region chips switch to another part of the world, and the full list of time zone abbreviations shows every region at once.
Reading an abbreviation
Most abbreviations are built from the zone name plus a letter for the kind of time. Standard time, used in winter or all year, often ends in ST. Daylight saving time often ends in DT, and many European summer times add an S for summer. A place that changes its clocks therefore uses two abbreviations a year, one hour apart, and the list shows both.
Most abbreviations are not set by any international body. They grow out of local usage, and the same letters can mean different zones in different parts of the world. When an exact time matters, for a flight, a broadcast or a meeting across borders, write the UTC offset or the name of a city as well.
Offsets change, names stay
The offset an abbreviation stands for is fixed: a standard time keeps its offset, and its daylight counterpart is usually one hour ahead. What changes is which abbreviation a place is using on a given date. To see the offset in force today, with daylight saving time applied, use the time zone converter or the world clock. For the dates on which clocks change, see daylight saving time.
Abbreviations and IANA names
Computers and phones identify time zones with IANA names such as Europe/Paris or America/Sao_Paulo, from a database that records the full history of each area’s offsets and clock changes. The abbreviations in this list are the human-friendly labels shown next to the time. Your own device’s zone, with its IANA name and current abbreviation, appears on what is my time zone.