Postal codes were introduced in South Africa on 8 October 1973, with the introduction of automated sorting.
[1] South African postal codes consist of four digits.
Mail may be delivered either to the physical address or to a PO Box, particularly in rural areas where no street delivery is available.
In the case of cities and large towns, however, the last two digits of the postal code indicate the mode of delivery.
[6] Following independence, use of the South African postal code system was discontinued.