Area Code 35 – Richards Bay/St. Lucia/Ulundi/Zululand

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Area code 35 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the South African numbering plan, assigned to the northeastern region of KwaZulu-Natal province. This area encompasses the coastal city of Richards Bay, a major deep-water port and industrial hub; the wetland and estuary town of St. Lucia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and the inland historical capital of the Zulu Kingdom, Ulundi. The code also serves the broader Zululand region, including towns such as Empangeni, Mtubatuba, and Hluhluwe. Administratively, the region falls under the King Cetshwayo District and Zululand District municipalities.

Dialing Formats and Number Structure

Within South Africa, calls to this region require dialing the trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code and the subscriber number. The national significant number (NSN) for geographic numbers in South Africa is 9 digits, comprising the NDC (excluding the leading 0) and a 7-digit subscriber number. Therefore, local numbers in area 35 are formatted as 035 XXX XXXX when dialed nationally. For example, a Richards Bay landline number might be 035 789 1234.

International callers must dial the South African country code +27, then the area code without the leading zero, followed by the subscriber number. Thus, the same number would be dialed as +27 35 789 1234 from abroad. When dialing within the same local area, it is often possible to omit the area code and dial only the 7-digit subscriber number, but this depends on the specific local dialing procedures and may not be supported by all networks.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T E.164 national numbering plan updates, area code 35 does not have an overlay code; it is the sole geographic NDC for this region. However, the rapid growth of Richards Bay as an industrial center has led to increased demand for numbers, and the regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), periodically reviews numbering resources. Should an overlay be introduced in the future, 10-digit dialing would become mandatory for all calls within the region.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers within the 035 area should dial 035 XXX XXXX (or just the 7-digit number if local network allows).
• National callers from other South African regions must dial 0 35 XXX XXXX.
• International callers should dial +27 35 XXX XXXX, omitting the leading zero.

This area code is used exclusively for fixed-line PSTN and VoIP services that are geographically tied to the region. Mobile numbers in South Africa are assigned separate non-geographic codes (e.g., 071, 082, etc.) and are not affected by this area code.