How to send a fax to South Africa

Why fax to South Africa?

If your recipient in South Africa asks for a fax, you can send signed forms, supporting documents or other paperwork from your phone or computer. Confirm that the recipient accepts your document by fax and check their current fax number before sending.

What you need

To send a fax to South Africa with unofax you need four things:

• Your document: PDF, Word, image, or any supported file. PDF gives the best results.
• The recipient's fax number: South Africa uses +27. Drop the domestic leading zero and keep the area code: Cape Town's 021 becomes +27 21 and Johannesburg's 011 becomes +27 11, followed by the seven-digit subscriber number.
• A payment method: credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• Your email address: for delivery confirmation and proof of receipt.

No account, no subscription, no fax machine required.

Step by step

Sending a fax to South Africa with unofax takes about two minutes:

• Upload your document: drag and drop or tap to select your file.
• Select South Africa and enter the fax number: unofax adds +27 automatically. South Africa uses +27. Drop the domestic leading zero and keep the area code: Cape Town's 021 becomes +27 21 and Johannesburg's 011 becomes +27 11, followed by the seven-digit subscriber number.
• Enter your email: provide your email address for delivery confirmation and proof of receipt.
• Preview: check each page in the preview. Add a free cover sheet if the recipient requires one.
• Pay: the per-page price is shown upfront. Pay with card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• Done: your fax is sent immediately. You receive a delivery confirmation once the receiving machine acknowledges receipt.

Tips for faxing to South Africa

A few things to keep in mind when faxing to South Africa:

• Local time: South Africa uses South African Standard Time (UTC+2) all year, with no daylight saving. Send during the recipient's business hours when possible.
• Supported numbers: Use the recipient's active landline fax number. Premium-rate numbers are blocked.
• Cover sheet: include the recipient, department, reference number and your contact details.
• Use PDF for best quality: official forms, scans, and signed documents fax more clearly when converted to a clean PDF before upload.
• Check acceptance: confirm the submission deadline and any required follow-up. Delivery confirmation means the receiving fax system acknowledged receipt, not that a person has reviewed or accepted the document.

Common questions

Quick answers about faxing to South Africa:

• Can I fax to any number in South Africa? — Use the recipient's active landline fax number. Premium-rate numbers are blocked.
• How long does delivery take? — Most faxes are delivered within one to three minutes. Delivery time depends on the number of pages and the speed of the receiving machine.
• Should I include the zero in a South African area code? — No. Write 021 as 21 after +27. Keep all the remaining area-code and subscriber digits.
• How much does it cost to fax to South Africa? — unofax charges a flat per-page rate. The price in your local currency is displayed before you pay. There are no subscriptions, setup fees, or hidden charges.