Current local time in East London, South Africa
The live clock above shows the time in East London. East London is in the Africa/Johannesburg time zone, UTC+2 right now (SAST).
| Country | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Cape |
| Population | about 339,000 |
| Coordinates | 32.97° S, 27.87° E |
| Time zone | Africa/Johannesburg |
| Abbreviation | SAST |
| UTC offset | UTC+2 |
| Daylight saving time | No |
Daylight saving time
East London doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+2 (SAST) all year.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight
Today: sunrise …, sunset …, .
| 2026 | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 6:11 AM | 6:20 PM | 12 h 9 min |
| June solstice | 7:11 AM | 5:09 PM | 9 h 58 min |
| September equinox | 5:58 AM | 6:04 PM | 12 h 5 min |
| December solstice | 4:56 AM | 7:16 PM | 14 h 19 min |
Clock time vs. sun time
The sun is highest over East London at about 12:17 PM in mid-January. On standard time, local clocks run about 9 minutes ahead of the sun, because East London sits at 27.9° E, while its time zone is centred on 30.0° E.
East London time compared with other cities
| City | Time now | Compared with East London |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 hours behind in Jan, 6 hours behind in Jul | |
| Los Angeles | 10 hours behind in Jan, 9 hours behind in Jul | |
| London | 2 hours behind in Jan, 1 hour behind in Jul | |
| Paris | 1 hour behind in Jan, same time in Jul | |
| Dubai | 2 hours ahead | |
| Mumbai | 3.5 hours ahead | |
| Shanghai | 6 hours ahead | |
| Tokyo | 7 hours ahead | |
| Sydney | 9 hours ahead in Jan, 8 hours ahead in Jul |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Time now vs East London |
|---|---|---|
| Bhisho | 46 km (29 mi) | same time |
| Umtata | 177 km (110 mi) | same time |
| Port Elizabeth | 238 km (148 mi) | same time |
| Uitenhage | 246 km (153 mi) | same time |
| Maseru, Lesotho | 408 km (253 mi) | same time |
| Pietermaritzburg | 444 km (276 mi) | same time |
| Durban | 454 km (282 mi) | same time |
| Bloemfontein | 456 km (283 mi) | same time |
Other cities in South Africa
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Durban
- Benoni
- Pretoria
- Port Elizabeth
- Vereeniging
- Pietermaritzburg
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Uitenhage
- Springs
- Mbombela
- Polokwane
- Klerksdorp
- Paarl
- Thohoyandou
- Kimberley
Questions people ask
What time zone is East London in?
East London is in the Africa/Johannesburg time zone, UTC+2, all year.
Does East London have daylight saving time?
East London doesn't use daylight saving time. It stays on UTC+2 (SAST) all year.
Why isn't noon in East London when the sun is highest?
Because time zones are wide. East London's clocks follow a zone centred on 30.0° E, so on standard time they run about 9 minutes ahead of the sun. Daylight saving time adds another hour.
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Time zone data: IANA tz database 2026e. Population: Natural Earth (approximate).