South Africa has no single emergency number. Which one to dial depends on whether you are calling from a landline or a cellphone, and on whether you need the police, an ambulance, or a metro emergency service. Every number below is taken from the organisation that operates it.
Official contact channels
- 10111 – South African Police Service emergency line, for a crime in progress or immediate danger. Free from a landline
- 10177 – national ambulance and fire emergency line, operated by the provincial emergency medical services
- 112 – the emergency number to dial from a cellphone. It works on every network, with no airtime and even with the keypad locked, and routes you to an emergency call centre
- 08 600 10111 – SAPS Crime Stop, for anonymous tip-offs about crime. This is a tip-off line, not an emergency line
Which number to call when
The short codes above are national. Some metros run their own emergency control rooms in addition to them, and private ambulance services operate their own dispatch numbers.
- 107 – metro emergency control room in the City of Tshwane and the City of Cape Town. It is not the same service as 10111, and it works only inside those metros
- 084 124 – ER24 private ambulance dispatch, national
- 082 911 – Netcare 911 private ambulance dispatch, national
- Private ambulance services may bill you or your medical scheme. The state services reached on 10177 do not charge at the point of call
Crisis and protection helplines
- 0800 428 428 – Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, run by the Department of Social Development, 24 hours. You can also dial *120*7867# for a call-back, or SMS 31531
- 116 – Childline South Africa, 24 hours and free from all networks, for children at risk and for adults concerned about a child
- 0800 567 567 – Suicide Crisis Helpline, operated by SADAG, 24 hours
- 0800 12 13 14 – Substance Abuse Helpline, or SMS 32312
Support and escalation routes
- If an emergency call is not answered or the response does not arrive, call again and ask for the reference number, then escalate to the provincial emergency medical services or the station commander of your nearest police station
- Complaints about police conduct go to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, which is a separate body from the SAPS
- Save the numbers you are most likely to need before you need them, including your nearest police station and your medical scheme emergency line
Sources
- South African Police Service, Crime Stop page, for the 08 600 10111 tip-off number
- Department of Social Development, for the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre number and its USSD and SMS channels
- Childline South Africa contact page, for the 116 helpline
- South African Depression and Anxiety Group, 24-hour toll-free emergency helplines, for the crisis and substance abuse lines