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DateAlmanac

What is SAST in CST?

Central Time is 8 hours behind

South Africa Standard Time is on UTC+2:00 and Central Time is on UTC−6:00 right now. The gap changes during the year — see below.

Convert a time

CST — Central Time

2:00 am

CST, Sat

Time in Johannesburg
10:29:26 AM
Time in Chicago
2:29:26 AM
Difference
−8 h
Next clock change
March 14, 2027

When the difference changes

South Africa Standard Time and Central Time do not change their clocks on the same dates, so the gap between them is not the same all year. Most converters show only today’s figure. These are the periods ahead:

  1. Now – March 14, 2027Central Time is 8 hours behind
  2. March 14, 2027 – November 7, 2027Central Time is 7 hours behind
  3. November 7, 2027 – onwardsCentral Time is 8 hours behind

Periods shorter than a day are not listed. Each zone changes at its own local time, so on a date when both move there are a few hours when the gap is briefly something else.

Daylight saving

South Africa Standard Time

No clock changes

South Africa Standard Time stays on SAST all year, so its offset from UTC never moves.

Central Time

Sunday, March 14, 2027

Clocks go forward one hour — 2:00 am becomes 3:00 am local time, and the zone is on CDT after that.

SAST to CST conversion table

Every hour of Saturday, November 7, 2026, converted from South Africa Standard Time to Central Time. 8 of the 24 hours fall on a different calendar day in Chicago, which is marked.

12:00 am SAST
4:00 pm CST−1 day
1:00 am SAST
5:00 pm CST−1 day
2:00 am SAST
6:00 pm CST−1 day
3:00 am SAST
7:00 pm CST−1 day
4:00 am SAST
8:00 pm CST−1 day
5:00 am SAST
9:00 pm CST−1 day
6:00 am SAST
10:00 pm CST−1 day
7:00 am SAST
11:00 pm CST−1 day
8:00 am SAST
12:00 am CST
9:00 am SAST
1:00 am CST
10:00 am SAST
2:00 am CST
11:00 am SAST
3:00 am CST
12:00 pm SAST
4:00 am CST
1:00 pm SAST
5:00 am CST
2:00 pm SAST
6:00 am CST
3:00 pm SAST
7:00 am CST
4:00 pm SAST
8:00 am CST
5:00 pm SAST
9:00 am CST
6:00 pm SAST
10:00 am CST
7:00 pm SAST
11:00 am CST
8:00 pm SAST
12:00 pm CST
9:00 pm SAST
1:00 pm CST
10:00 pm SAST
2:00 pm CST
11:00 pm SAST
3:00 pm CST

Scheduling between the two

Working hours overlap from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm SAST, which is 9:00 am to 10:00 am CST. Anything inside that window falls in the normal working day at both ends.

A note on CST: it can also mean China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5). This page means US Central Time.

Central Time (CST) is used in Dallas, Houston, Mexico City and Winnipeg

Other conversions