Amateur radio call signs in Africa are codes used to identify all radio communications, broadcasts and transmissions. The International Telecommunication Union assigns Africa as ITU region #1. It has assigned call signs prefix blocks to countries including 77 DXCC entities in and off-shore of Africa. Western Sahara is not a DXCC entity but uses SØ as a prefix.
Amateur radio or ham radio is practised by operators holding nationally allocated call signs in African countries or foreign administered territories and other nations or DXCC entities. Call sign allocation from the International Telegraph Union is administered by national political authorities and international mandates.
The following call sign blocks are used for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission: [1]
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs [2] |
|---|---|---|
| 3V, TS | Tunisia | 53 |
| 7R, 7T–7Y | Algeria | 94 |
| CN, 5C–5G | Morocco | 453 |
| CQ3, CQ9, CR3, CR9, CS3, CS9, CT3, CT9 | Madeira Is. (Portugal) | 408 |
| AM8, AN8, AO8, EA8–EH8 | Canary Is. (Spain) | 3,693 |
| AM9, AN9, AO9, EA9, EB9. EC9, ED9. EE9, EF9, EG9, EH9 | Ceuta (Spain) | 771 |
| AM9, AN9, AO9, EC9, ED9 | Melilla (Spain) | incl. in Ceuta |
| IG9 & IH9 | Pelagie, Pantelleria (Italy) | ?? |
| SØ | Western Sahara | 32 |
In Morocco CN8 is for residents, CNØ is for visitors. SØ for Western Sahara is an unofficial prefix, not issued by the ITU.
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 5A | Libya | 22 |
| ST, 6TA–6UZ | Sudan | 46 |
| Z8 | South Sudan | ?? |
| SSA–SUZ, 6AA–6BZ | Egypt | 113 |
Sudan further subdivides its call signs thus (with possible changes due to the 2011 independence of South Sudan): ST2 Khartoum and its region, ST3 Wad Madani, central region, ST4 Al Ubayyid, Kurdufan region, ST5 Kassala, eastern region, ST6 Port Sudan, northeast region, ST7 Ad'Damir, northwest region, ST8 Al'Fashir, Darfour region, and ST9 Malakal, central-south region; Wau, Bahr-al-Ghazal region.
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 3X | Guinea | 46 |
| 5N–5O | Nigeria | 152 |
| 5T | Mauritania | 1 |
| 5U | Niger | 38 |
| 5V | Togo | 49 |
| 6V–6W | Senegal | 137 |
| 9G | Ghana | 121 |
| 9L | Sierra Leone | 62 |
| C5 | The Gambia | 2 |
| D4 | Cape Verde | 26 |
| EL, 5L–5M, 6Z, A8, D5 | Liberia | 127 |
| J5 | Guinea-Bissau | 45 |
| TU | Côte d'Ivoire | 108 |
| TY | Benin | 46 |
| TZ | Mali | 52 |
| XT | Burkina Faso | 59 |
Nigeria further subdivides its prefixes thus: 5N1 = OGUN, OYO, ONDO; 5N2 = KWARA, KOGI, NIGER, OSUN; 5N3 = EDO, DELTA, ANAMBRA; 5N4 = ENUGU, RIVERS, ABIA; 5N5 = CROSS RIVERS, AKWA-IBOM, IMO, BENUE; 5N6 = PLATEAU, TARABA, BAUCHI; 5N7 = ADAMAWA, YOBE, BORNO; 5N8 = KANO, JIGAWA; 5N9 = KADUNA, SOKOTO, KEBBI, KATSINA; and 5NØ = LAGOS STATE AND ABUJA, F.C.T.
Senegal further subdivides its prefixes thus: 6W1 Dakar, 6W2 Ziguinchor, 6W3 Diourbei, 6W4 St. Louis 6W5 Tambacounda, 6W6 Kaolack, 6W7 Thies, 6W8 Louga, 6W9 Fatick and 6WØ Kolda.
Liberia further subdivides its prefixes thus: EL1 Grand Bassa, River Cess, EL2 Montserrado, Bomi, Margibi, EL3 Sinoe, EL4 Maryland, Grand Kru, EL5 Lofa, EL6 Grand Gedeh, EL7 Bong, EL8 Nimba, EL9 Grand Cape Mount, and ELØ for Novices and Club Stations
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 3C | Equatorial Guinea | 29 |
| 3CØ | Annobon Is. (Equatorial Guinea) | 9 |
| 9I–9J | Zambia | 89 |
| 9O–9T | Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) | 62 |
| 9U | Burundi | 18 |
| 9X | Rwanda | 32 |
| D2–D3 | Angola | 42 |
| S9 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 50 |
| TJ | Cameroon | 39 |
| TL | Central Africa Republic | 45 |
| TN | Republic of Congo | 27 |
| TR | Gabon | 90 |
| TT | Chad | 62 |
| ZD7 | St. Helena (UK) | 49 |
| ZD8 | Ascension Is. (UK) | 52 |
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) further subdivides its call signs thus: 9Q1 – Kinshasa, 9Q2 – Bas Congo, 9Q3 – Bandundu, 9Q4 – Equateur, 9Q5 – Province orientale, 9Q6 – North Kivu, South Kivu, Maniema, 9Q7– Katanga, 9Q8 – Oriental Kasai, 9Q9 – Occidental Kasai, and 9QØ – Reserved
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 5H–5I | Tanzania | 199 |
| 5X | Uganda | 56 |
| 5Y–5Z | Kenya | 145 |
| 7O | Socotra (Yemen) | ?? |
| 7Q | Malawi | 95 |
| C8–C9 | Mozambique | 98 |
| E3 | Eritrea | 15 |
| ET, 9E–9F | Ethiopia | 39 |
| J2 | Djibouti | 82 |
| T5, 6OA–6OZ | Somalia | 39 |
For Eritrea only contacts made November 14, 1962, and before, or May 24, 1991, and after, count for this entity.
Tanzania further subdivides its prefix thus: 5H1 – Zanzibar and Pemba Islands, 5H2 – Arysha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, 5H3 – Pwani, Dar es Salaam (including Mafia Island), 5H4 – Morogoro, 5H5 – Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma, 5H6 – Iringa, 5H7 – Mbeya, 5H8 – Kigoma, Rukwa, Tabora, 5H9 – Ziwa Magharibi, Mwanza, Mara, Shinyanga (including Ukerewe Islands), and 5HØ – Dodoma, Singida.
Somalia further subdivides its call signs according to the province of issue: 6OØ indicates the license was issued in Puntland, Northern Somalia, and; 6O1 is issued in Southern Somalia. [3]
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 3DA0 | Eswatini (formerly Swaziland till 2018) | 101 |
| 3Y | Bouvet (Norway) | 12 |
| 7P | Lesotho | 98 |
| A2, 8O | Botswana | 100 |
| V50–V59 | Namibia | 170 |
| Z2 | Zimbabwe | 121 |
| ZD9 | Tristan da Cunha & Gough Is. (UK) | 15 |
| ZR–ZU, | South Africa | 9,696 |
| ZS8 | Prince Edward & Marion Is. (South Africa) | 7 |
South Africa further divides its call signs thus: [4] [5] [6] [7]
| Call sign block | DXCC Entity | Approx. # call signs |
|---|---|---|
| 3B6,7 | Agalega & St. Brandon Is. (Mauritius) | 14 |
| 3B8 | Mauritius | 123 |
| 3B9 | Rodrigues Is. (Mauritius) | 15 |
| 5R–5S, 6X | Madagascar | 93 |
| D6 | Comoros | 25 |
| FH | Mayotte (France) | 51 |
| FR/G | Glorioso Is. (France) | ?? |
| FR/J,E | Juan de Nova, Europa (France) | ?? |
| FR | Reunion Is. (France) | 237 |
| FR/T | Tromelin Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5W | Crozet Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5X | Kerguelen Is. (France) | ?? |
| FT5Z | Amsterdam & St. Paul Is. (France) | ?? |
| S7 | Seychelles | 86 |
| VKØ | Heard Is. (Australia) | 35 |
| VQ9 | Chagos Is. (UK) | 80 |
The call sign allocation history of mainland Africa and off-shore islands is complex and related to the colonial status of European powers in the early-20th century period. Call signs changed in relation to various independence movements, particularly following World War II and in the 1960s.
The conference held in 1927 assigned call prefixes to Morocco (CNA–CNZ), Egypt (SUA–SUZ), Republic of Liberia (ELA–ELZ), Ethiopia (ETA–ETZ), and the Union of South Africa (ZSA–ZUZ). These, however, did not necessarily include amateur radio operation. [9] African areas administered politically by colonizing countries (i.e. Great Britain, Portugal, France, etc.) adopted call signs issued to those countries for colonial purposes.
The 1947 Atlantic City ITU Conference reallocated call sign blocks to African countries and European colonies according to this table. [10]
| 1947 Call sign block | 1947 Country or Colonial power |
|---|---|
| CNA–CNZ | Morocco |
| CQA–CRZ | Portuguese colonies |
| DNA–DQZ | Belgian Congo |
| ELA–ELZ | Republic of Liberia |
| ETA–ETZ | Ethiopia |
| FAA–FZZ | France and its colonies |
| HWA–HYZ | France and its colonies |
| IAA–IZZ | Italy and its colonies |
| SSA–SUZ | Egypt |
| THA–THZ | France and its colonies |
| VPA–VSZ | British Colonies |
| XXA–XXZ | Portuguese colonies |
| ZBA–ZJZ | British Colonies |
| ZQA–ZQZ | British Colonies |
| ZRA–ZUZ | Union of South Africa |
| 3VA–3VZ | France and its colonies |
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. They also form the basis for, but may not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code. A call sign can be any number of letters and numerals but each country must only use call signs that begin with the characters allocated for use in that country.
Call signs are frequently still used by North American broadcast stations, in addition to amateur radio and other international radio stations that continue to identify by call signs around the world. Each country has a different set of patterns for its own call signs. Call signs are allocated to ham radio stations in Barbados, Canada, Mexico and across the United States.
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigned by a government agency, informally adopted by individuals or organizations, or even cryptographically encoded to disguise a station's identity.
The South African Radio League (SARL), formerly known as the South African Radio Relay League (SARRL), is a non-profit organisation representing the interests of amateur radio enthusiasts in South Africa. The SARL advocates on behalf of its membership and all licensed amateur radio operators in South Africa as the representative of amateur radio to the South African government. This has included the promotion of deregulation and simplification of the amateur radio service, and expansion of the number of amateur radio operators in Southern Africa. The SARL publicises and promotes the role of amateur radio in society, and promotes the use of amateur radio in schools as an entry point into the fields of science and technology. The SARL publishes a magazine called Radio ZS twelve times a year. SARL is the national Member Society representing South Africa in the International Amateur Radio Union and is a Member Society in IARU Region 1.
Call signs in New Zealand are no longer generally used to identify broadcast stations. However, New Zealand's radio stations were once known by their call signs and would usually broadcast their call signs as a number followed by X, Y, or Z, and another letter. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU and nationally by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), formerly the Ministry of Economic Development. The ministry is also responsible for providing policy advice to Government on the allocation of New Zealand's radio spectrum to support, efficient, reliable and responsive wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure.
Call signs in India are unique identifiers for telecommunications and broadcasting in India. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology regulates call signs nationally, and the International Telecommunication Union regulates call signs internationally.
Call signs in the Middle East are unique identifiers for telecommunications and broadcasting in the Middle East. Call signs are regulated internationally by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and nationally by local government and international agencies in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, The Palestinian Authority, occupied territories and other nations or DXCC entities.
Amateur radio call signs are allocated to amateur radio operators around the world. The call signs are used to legally identify the station or operator, with some countries requiring the station call sign to always be used and others allowing the operator call sign instead.
Call signs in Russia are unique identifiers for telecommunications and broadcasting. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation. The latter is responsible for providing policy on the allocation of Russia's radio spectrum to support efficient, reliable and responsive wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure.
Call signs in Mexico are unique identifiers for telecommunications, radio communication, radio broadcasting and transmission. They are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally by the Federal Telecommunications Institute, which regulates broadcast stations, wireless telecommunications and spectrum use.
Call signs in Korea are unique identifiers for telecommunications and broadcasting on the Korean peninsula. Call signs are regulated internationally by the ITU as well as nationally in South Korea by the Korea Communications Commission in the Ministry of Information and Communication. Not much is known outside of North Korea how amateur radio is regulated, although a foreign amateur was asked to appear before the "Radio Regulation Board" in 2002. Also, North Korea's Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries recently issued an operating permit, which was countermanded by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts.
Call signs in Asia are rarely used to identify broadcast stations. In most Asian countries, broadcast stations use other forms of identification. Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan are exceptions to this rule. Amateur radio stations in India, Pakistan, Korea and Japan are allocated call-signs.
Call signs in Europe are codes consisting of a three letter country code and a series of letters and numbers, used as unique identifiers for broadcasting and telecommunications. These are not designated formally to all broadcast stations in Europe like they are in other parts of the world, but some broadcasters have developed their own makeshift call signs. It is quite common that instead of regular call signs abbreviations of the stations' names are used. In most of Europe, TV and radio stations have unique names, such as ProSieben in Germany, France 2 in France, Nova Television in Bulgaria, Antena 3 in Spain, etc.
Call signs in Oceania are currently voluntary in Australia radio and TV station, and were previously compulsory in New Zealand. In both countries, stations like 2GB and Newstalk ZB continue to use parts of the call signs in their branding.
Call signs in Canada are official identifiers issued to the country's radio and television stations. Assignments for broadcasting stations are made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), while amateur stations receive their call signs from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Conventional radio and television broadcasting stations assignments are generally three, four or five letters long and almost exclusively use "C" call signs; with a few exceptions noted below, the "V" codes are restricted to specialized uses such as amateur radio.
Call signs in Antarctica include a three letter region code and a series of numbers and letters.
Call signs in Barbados include a three letter country code, and a series of letters and numbers.
Call signs in United Kingdom include a three letter country code, and a series of letters and numbers.
Broadcast call signs are call signs assigned as unique identifiers to radio stations and television stations. While broadcast radio stations will often brand themselves with plain-text names, identities such as "cool FM", "rock 105" or "the ABC network" are not globally unique. Another station in another city or country may have a similar brand, and the name of a broadcast station for legal purposes is normally its internationally recognised ITU call sign. Some common conventions are followed around the world.
Prefixes that are used for radio and television are usually allocated by ITU. They also form the basis for, but do not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. But in some cases, especially among amateur radio operators other, by ITU unallocated, callsigns are used when operating from disputed areas or countries that are internationally not (yet) recognized. They can be: