Offset
The time difference between Central Time and Cape Town is 7 hours.
Central Time (CDT) is behind Cape Town (SAST).
CDT: UTC-5
SAST: UTC+2
Central Time is currently observing daylight saving time; Cape Town is not.
When to schedule
Business-hours overlap: 9 AM–10 AM in Central Time (4 PM–5 PM in Cape Town).
Both teams are in working hours during this window on weekdays.
Suggested time: 9:00 AM Central Time (4:00 PM Cape Town).
This window may shift by an hour during daylight saving time.
Public holidays in 2026
National public holidays can affect availability — a counterpart is likely off work on their own holidays, so it's worth planning meetings and deadlines around them.
United States
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. DayMon, Jan 19
- Presidents DayMon, Feb 16
- Memorial DayMon, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence DayFri, Jun 19
- Independence DayFri, Jul 3
- Labour DayMon, Sep 7
- Columbus DayMon, Oct 12
- Veterans DayWed, Nov 11
- Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 26
- Christmas DayFri, Dec 25
South Africa
- New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
- Human Rights DaySat, Mar 21
- Good FridayFri, Apr 3
- Family DayMon, Apr 6
- Freedom DayMon, Apr 27
- Workers' DayFri, May 1
- Youth DayTue, Jun 16
- National Women's DayMon, Aug 10
- Heritage DayThu, Sep 24
- Day of ReconciliationWed, Dec 16
- Christmas DayFri, Dec 25
- Day of GoodwillSat, Dec 26
About these zones
Central Time is also known as CST, or CDT. To call United States, dial +1.
Cape Town uses South Africa Time (SAST). To call South Africa, dial +27.
Cape Town is approximately 8,500 miles east of Central Time.
Quick reference
Full 24-hour conversion table — tap any time to open it in the converter.
| CST | Cape Town | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 am | 7:00 am | Same day |
| 1:00 am | 8:00 am | Same day |
| 2:00 am | 9:00 am | Same day |
| 3:00 am | 10:00 am | Same day |
| 4:00 am | 11:00 am | Same day |
| 5:00 am | 12:00 pm | Same day |
| 6:00 am | 1:00 pm | Same day |
| 7:00 am | 2:00 pm | Same day |
| 8:00 am | 3:00 pm | Same day |
| 9:00 am | 4:00 pm | Same day |
| 10:00 am | 5:00 pm | Same day |
| 11:00 am | 6:00 pm | Same day |
| 12:00 pm | 7:00 pm | Same day |
| 1:00 pm | 8:00 pm | Same day |
| 2:00 pm | 9:00 pm | Same day |
| 3:00 pm | 10:00 pm | Same day |
| 4:00 pm | 11:00 pm | Same day |
| 5:00 pm | 12:00 am | +1 day |
| 6:00 pm | 1:00 am | +1 day |
| 7:00 pm | 2:00 am | +1 day |
| 8:00 pm | 3:00 am | +1 day |
| 9:00 pm | 4:00 am | +1 day |
| 10:00 pm | 5:00 am | +1 day |
| 11:00 pm | 6:00 am | +1 day |
Daylight saving time
Central Time observes daylight saving time; Cape Town does not. The offset between the two zones changes when Central Time transitions: on Sunday, November 1, 2026, clocks fall back from CDT to CST.
See the daylight saving time page for transition dates across every time zone.
Daylight today
- Sunrise
- 5:16 AM
- Sunset
- 8:26 PM
- Day length
- 15h 10m
- Sunrise
- 7:48 AM
- Sunset
- 5:45 PM
- Day length
- 9h 56m
Daylight overlap: 5h 29m — 5:16 AM–10:45 AM in Central Time (12:16 PM–5:45 PM in Cape Town). Both locations are in daylight during this window.
Cities in these zones
Cities in Central Time
Other cities in South Africa Time
Browse all cities to see the current local time anywhere.
Airports in these zones
Airports in Central Time
- GYY
- MDW
- ORD
- HOU
- IAH
- SAT
- DAL
- DFW
- AUS
- BNA
Airports in South Africa Time
- HLA
- JNB
- CPT
- DUR
Related conversions
Common conversions
- What is 9:00 am CST in Cape Town?
- 9:00 am CST is 4:00 pm Cape Town.
- What is 12:00 pm CST in Cape Town?
- 12:00 pm CST is 7:00 pm Cape Town.
- What is 12:30 pm CST in Cape Town?
- 12:30 pm CST is 7:30 pm Cape Town.
- What is 2:00 pm CST in Cape Town?
- 2:00 pm CST is 9:00 pm Cape Town.
- What is 5:00 pm CST in Cape Town?
- 5:00 pm CST is 12:00 am Cape Town, the next day.
- What is 11:30 pm CST in Cape Town?
- 11:30 pm CST is 6:30 am Cape Town, the next day.