Lusophone Africa time zones: Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde and more

The Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa — known as PALOP — span three different time zones. Knowing each one matters for anyone in Brazil or Portugal doing business with, traveling to, or staying in touch with Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, or Equatorial Guinea.

Time zones of the Lusophone African countries

• Angola (Luanda): UTC+1 — West Africa Time (WAT), no daylight saving.
• Mozambique (Maputo): UTC+2 — Central Africa Time (CAT), no daylight saving.
• Cape Verde (Praia): UTC-1 — Cape Verde Time (CVT), no daylight saving.
• Guinea-Bissau (Bissau): UTC+0 — Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), no daylight saving.
• São Tomé and Príncipe (São Tomé): UTC+0 — Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), no daylight saving.
• Equatorial Guinea (Malabo): UTC+1 — West Africa Time (WAT), no daylight saving. While not a full CPLP member by Portuguese heritage, it is a Portuguese-speaking observer.

None of these countries observe daylight saving time. Clocks stay fixed year-round, which simplifies scheduling enormously.

Time difference between Brazil and each PALOP

Brasília is at UTC-3. Compared to the PALOP capitals:

• Brasília × Luanda (Angola): Luanda is 4 hours ahead.
• Brasília × Maputo (Mozambique): Maputo is 5 hours ahead.
• Brasília × Praia (Cape Verde): Praia is 2 hours ahead.
• Brasília × Bissau (Guinea-Bissau): Bissau is 3 hours ahead.
• Brasília × São Tomé: São Tomé is 3 hours ahead.

Time difference between Portugal and each PALOP

Lisbon shifts between UTC+0 (winter) and UTC+1 (summer):

• Lisbon × Luanda: 1 hour ahead in European winter; same time in European summer.
• Lisbon × Maputo: 2 hours ahead in winter; 1 hour ahead in summer.
• Lisbon × Praia: 1 hour behind in winter; 2 hours behind in summer.
• Lisbon × Bissau: same time in winter; 1 hour behind in summer.
• Lisbon × São Tomé: same time in winter; 1 hour behind in summer.

Country specifics

Angola — has been on WAT (UTC+1) since 1979 with no seasonal adjustment. Luanda concentrates most economic and administrative activity.

Mozambique — on CAT (UTC+2), the same zone as South Africa. That eases business between Maputo and Johannesburg but widens the gap with Brazil and Portugal.

Cape Verde — the only PALOP with a negative offset. The islands sit west of Greenwich and follow UTC-1, close to but offset from European time.

Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé — both on GMT (UTC+0), the same as London in winter and Lisbon in European winter.

Business hours across the PALOP

Office hours typically run 8am to 5pm with country variations. Since none of the PALOP observe DST, those hours stay stable year-round.

Live clocks for every Lusophone African capital

QueHoras shows real-time clocks for Luanda, Maputo, Praia, Bissau, and São Tomé, with the difference to your local zone always up to date.