Africa Time Zones: Every Country's UTC Offset in One Table
Quick answer. African countries do not all share one time. The continent uses 6 UTC offsets, from UTC−1 in Cape Verde to UTC+4 in Mauritius. On the mainland the clock runs from UTC+0 in the west (Senegal, Ghana, Morocco) to UTC+3 in the east (Kenya, Ethiopia). Egypt is the only African country that changes its clocks.
Most of Africa and the Middle East keep the same clock time all year. That makes differences inside the region stable, but it also means the gap to Europe and North America changes twice a year when they move their own clocks.
Every African country by offset
The table lists all 54 countries by their UTC offset, read from the time zone database for the coming January and July. DR Congo is split between two offsets, so it appears twice.
| Offset | Countries |
|---|---|
| UTC−1 | Cape Verde |
| UTC+0 | Morocco and Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, São Tomé and Príncipe |
| UTC+1 | Algeria, Tunisia, Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo (west), Angola |
| UTC+2 | Libya, Egypt (UTC+3 in summer), Sudan, South Sudan, DR Congo (east), Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini |
| UTC+3 | Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros |
| UTC+4 | Mauritius, Seychelles |
Africa: the main zone names
| Offset | Name | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| UTC+0 | Greenwich Mean Time | Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire |
| UTC+1 | West Africa Time / Central European Time | Nigeria, Algeria, Kinshasa |
| UTC+2 | Central Africa / South Africa Time | Johannesburg, Lubumbashi, Zimbabwe, Zambia |
| UTC+3 | East Africa Time | Nairobi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda |
| UTC+4 | Mauritius and Seychelles Time | Mauritius, Seychelles |
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is split between two zones: the west, including Kinshasa, is on UTC+1, and the east, including Lubumbashi, is on UTC+2.
Daylight saving time in Africa
- Egypt brought back daylight saving time in 2023. Cairo is on UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 from late April to late October.
- Morocco used UTC+1 for most of the year from 2018 and dropped back to UTC+0 during Ramadan. On September 20, 2026 it returned to UTC+0 for good, so Casablanca now shows the same time as London in winter and is one hour behind it in summer. Western Sahara follows the same clock.
- No other African country changes its clocks. The guide to places that stopped changing their clocks covers Morocco's decision.
The Middle East
- Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain use UTC+3 all year.
- Türkiye uses UTC+3 all year (Istanbul).
- Iran uses UTC+3:30, a half-hour offset, and no longer changes its clocks.
- The United Arab Emirates and Oman use UTC+4 (Dubai).
- Afghanistan uses UTC+4:30.
- Jordan and Syria stopped changing their clocks in 2022 and stay on UTC+3.
- Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories change their clocks in spring and autumn.
Weekends are not the same everywhere
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel have a Friday and Saturday weekend, while the United Arab Emirates changed to Saturday and Sunday in 2022. When you plan a meeting, check both the time and the working days of the other country. A "Friday afternoon" call may fall on a day off. Dubai and US Time Difference converts the UAE office week, half Friday included, to US time.
Working with Europe and Asia
Because the region sits between the two, its working day overlaps with both Europe and South Asia. The overlap with Europe shrinks or grows by an hour when Europe changes its clocks. You can compare the exact numbers in our overlap tables.
Search any city or country on the World Clock for its current time and offset.
Frequently asked questions
Do all African countries have the same time?
No. Africa uses 6 different UTC offsets, from UTC−1 in Cape Verde to UTC+4 in Mauritius and the Seychelles. The mainland runs from UTC+0 in the west to UTC+3 in the east, so Dakar and Nairobi are three hours apart.
Does Egypt use daylight saving time?
Yes. Egypt brought it back in 2023. Daylight saving time starts on the last Friday in April and ends on the last Thursday in October.
What time zone is Morocco in?
UTC+0, all year. Morocco used UTC+1 from 2018, with a break during Ramadan, and moved back to UTC+0 for good on September 20, 2026.
How many time zones does Africa have?
6 standard offsets, from UTC−1 in Cape Verde to UTC+4 in Mauritius and the Seychelles. Most of the mainland uses UTC+0 to UTC+3. Only Egypt changes its clocks in summer.
Which countries in the Middle East have a Friday and Saturday weekend?
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. The United Arab Emirates moved to a Saturday and Sunday weekend in 2022.
Sources
- Time Zone Database (IANA) (checked October 26, 2026)
- Morocco Gears Up for Historic Return to GMT on Sunday (Morocco World News, September 2026) (checked October 26, 2026)
- Egypt to reapply daylight-saving time annually (Ahram Online) (checked October 26, 2026)
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