Area Code 213 – Livingstone/Southern Province

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The area code 213 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the city of Livingstone and its surrounding areas within the Southern Province of Zambia. Livingstone, named after the explorer David Livingstone, is a major tourist hub due to its proximity to Victoria Falls. The code serves the city center, suburban neighborhoods, and nearby townships that fall under the Livingstone District. The administrative jurisdiction is the Livingstone City Council, which oversees the area's telecommunication infrastructure and numbering allocation.

Dialing Formats and Instructions

For callers within Zambia, the local dialing format is 0213 followed by the subscriber's 6-digit number, making the total national significant number (NSN) length 9 digits (excluding the leading trunk prefix '0'). For example, a local call to a landline in Livingstone would be dialed as 0213 123456.

For international callers, the country code for Zambia is +260. The international dialing format is +260 213 123456, where the leading '0' of the trunk prefix is omitted. This format is used for calls originating from outside Zambia, whether from mobile or fixed networks.

Caller Instructions

• Local callers (within Zambia): Dial 0213 + subscriber number. If you are calling from a mobile phone, you may also need to include the area code even if you are in the same region, depending on your operator's dialing plan.
• International callers: Dial your country's international access prefix (e.g., 00, 011), then 260, then 213, followed by the subscriber number. Do not dial the leading '0' of the area code.

Overlay Considerations and Numbering Plan

Currently, there is no overlay code for the 213 area. The numbering plan for Zambia follows the ITU-T E.164 recommendation, and geographic area codes are assigned to specific regions. The 213 code is exclusively used for fixed-line services in the Livingstone area. However, with the growth of VoIP and mobile services, some numbers may be routed over IP networks, but the geographic significance remains for number portability and emergency services.

Primary Cities and Economic Significance

Livingstone is the capital of the Southern Province and serves as a key economic center, driven by tourism, hospitality, and cross-border trade with Botswana and Zimbabwe. The area code covers not only the city but also the surrounding rural areas that rely on fixed-line connectivity for administrative and business purposes. The presence of Victoria Falls and the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park makes the region a focal point for international communication, necessitating reliable telecommunication services.