+263 country code: Zimbabwe

Reach and location of the +263 code

The +263 country code belongs to Zimbabwe, whose official name is the Republic of Zimbabwe and whose ISO code is ZW. Zimbabwe lies in Africa, within the Eastern Africa subregion, and its capital is Harare. The +263 code is used for calls and messages to Zimbabwean numbers, and people from the country are described as Zimbabwean. The country uses a wide set of official languages, including English, Shona, Northern Ndebele, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Chewa, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

Currency and local time

Zimbabwe lists several currencies in use: the United States dollar, the South African rand, the Botswana pula, the British pound, the Euro, the Indian rupee, the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan and Zimbabwean bonds. The country keeps one time zone, Africa/Maputo, at UTC+02:00. Calls to a Harare number therefore follow that single clock.

Number format and internet calling

A Zimbabwe mobile number in international format looks like this: +263 71 234 5678. The +263 prefix replaces the national trunk arrangement, and the subscriber digits follow it. You can call or message a +263 number over the internet using a data connection, which avoids the charges of a traditional international call. A messaging app or a calling service with a data plan handles the connection, and the person receiving the call or message needs a reachable Zimbabwean mobile line.

Topping up Zimbabwean mobiles

Slashtel sends prepaid mobile top-ups to Zimbabwe operators Econet, NetOne and Telecel. You can top up a Zimbabwe number from outside the country and the credit goes to the operator's prepaid balance. This suits people calling or messaging family and contacts on Zimbabwean lines, where the balance covers calls, messages and data on the operator's own terms. Top-ups use the operators listed above; other Zimbabwean networks are not covered here. All three operators work on the same Africa/Maputo clock at UTC+02:00, so a top-up request and the resulting balance follow one local time across the country. The service sends credit to a specified Zimbabwean mobile number, and you choose the operator when you place the order. The +263 code, the +263 71 234 5678 example, and the capital Harare give the reference points for any Zimbabwe destination you contact or top up.