Daylight saving time falls back this Sunday – Will South Africa be affected?

Daylight saving time fall back starts Sunday, 3 November 2024. Here’s why it doesn’t affect South Africa and what to expect for US residents.

As autumn sets in in the Northern Hemisphere, clocks in the United States, Canada, and several other countries observing daylight saving time (DST) will “fall back” on Sunday, 3 November 2024, at 02:00, shifting an hour earlier to standard time.

Summary:

  • The 2024 daylight saving time fallback begins on Sunday, giving an extra hour of sleep.
  • Clocks in the United States and many other countries will go back one hour, but South Africa remains unaffected.
  • South Africa observes a standard time year-round and doesn’t participate in daylight saving time changes.

Daylight saving time falls back on Sunday, 3 November 2024

For those affected, this means an extra hour of sleep as clocks adjust from DST to standard time.

Devices such as smartphones and computers will update automatically, while traditional clocks and appliances will need to be manually reset.

This change signifies the official end of daylight saving time for the year, a practice observed in many Northern Hemisphere countries to maximise daylight during the warmer months.

South Africa, along with most countries in Africa, does not observe daylight saving time and therefore will not be impacted by this shift.

The nation operates on South Africa Standard Time (SAST), which remains constant throughout the year.

Due to its geographic location near the equator, South Africa experiences minimal seasonal variation in daylight hours, making DST unnecessary.

Daylight saving time adjustments, mainly intended to optimise daylight usage during extended summer days, tend to be more beneficial in regions farther from the equator, where seasonal shifts in daylight hours are more pronounced.

South Africa’s consistent sunrise and sunset times throughout the year allow the country to operate effectively without altering clocks seasonally.