UK clocks go back next month, widening the SA time gap

For most of the year Cape Town and London sit just an hour apart, but that gap is about to double.

On Sunday 25 October, at 02:00, clocks across the United Kingdom will move back to 01:00, marking the return to Greenwich Mean Time after seven months of British Summer Time.

The shift might sound minor, but for South Africans with family, friends or business ties in Britain, it quietly reshuffles daily routines. A call that used to land at a convenient 18:00 Johannesburg time will arrive an hour earlier in the UK’s evening, so calls and bookings need a second look before the date arrives.

I have lost count of the times a scheduling mix-up has meant catching someone in the UK mid dinner instead of mid afternoon. It is a small thing, but one that catches South Africans out every year, usually right when it matters most.

Why the clocks change

Britain has adjusted its clocks twice a year since 1916, when the practice began during World War I to save fuel and stretch daylight hours. The system, formalised under the Summer Time Act, moves clocks forward in March and back in October. Campaigns to scrap the tradition resurface regularly, but the switch remains in place.

What it means for South Africans

South Africa does not observe daylight saving, so its clocks stay fixed year round. That means the time difference with the UK swings between one hour in summer and two hours once GMT returns, so expats and anyone coordinating with London offices should build this seasonal shift into their planning.

How to prepare

Diarise the date now rather than discovering it on the day. Devices update themselves automatically, but calendar invites sent before the change may not adjust correctly.

Every October I brace myself for at least one missed call before I remember the clocks have shifted again. It is a strange reminder of how connected we stay to a country that keeps time so differently from our own.