+260 country code: Zambia

Who uses the +260 code

The +260 country code belongs to Zambia, whose official name is the Republic of Zambia and whose ISO code is ZM. The country sits in Eastern Africa, a subregion of the African continent. People and businesses in Zambia use +260 for their fixed and mobile numbers. The demonym for a person from Zambia is Zambian. The capital is Lusaka, the seat of national administration and the main city for government and commerce.

Language, currency and local time

English is the official language of Zambia. The national currency is the Zambian kwacha. Zambia keeps one time zone, Africa/Maputo, at UTC+02:00 all year. Anyone arranging a call or a message to Lusaka or elsewhere in the country checks the clock against UTC+02:00 before dialling. The kwacha is the currency used for prepaid airtime and mobile credit across the country.

What a Zambian mobile number looks like

Zambian mobile numbers use the +260 country code followed by the local mobile digits. The international example format is +260 95 5123456. Write the number in this style when storing a contact or sharing it with someone abroad. The +260 prefix replaces the leading zero of the national format, so the number reaches a Zambian mobile directly.

Calling and messaging over the internet

A +260 number can be called or messaged over the internet with a data connection, which avoids the charges of a traditional international call. The person in Zambia needs mobile data or Wi-Fi, and the caller needs a data connection and an application that supports calling or messaging to Zambian numbers. This works for reaching family, friends and business contacts in Lusaka and other parts of Zambia.

Prepaid credit keeps a Zambian mobile active for incoming calls and messages. Slashtel sends prepaid mobile top-ups to these Zambia operators: MTN, Airtel, Zamtel. You can top up a Zambia number through the recharge page and choose the operator and the amount in Zambian kwacha. Top-ups suit people who want to keep a contact in Zambia reachable without a bank transfer or a trip to a local shop. Check the number and operator before confirming, because credit goes to the mobile account linked to that number.