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South Africa

Blood Alcohol Calculator – Standard Drinks & 0.05% SA Limit 🇿🇦

Calculate your estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) instantly. Track standard drinks, view your sobriety curve, and check your status against South Africa's 0.05% legal driving limit.

0.05% BAC Legal limit

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Drink Driving in South Africa — 0.05% BAC

Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act sets 0.05 g/100 ml blood (0.24 mg/1 000 ml breath) for ordinary drivers and 0.02 g/100 ml for Professional Driving Permit holders. A 0.00% zero-tolerance limit has been signed into law under the National Road Traffic Amendment Act but is not yet in force.

ℹ️ Information

CONTEXT
🌎 Country
Show results indo
ABOUT YOU
Sex
⚖️ Weight

lbs

⏱️ Start time of drinking (optional) Time of your first drink (not required)

🕒

⏳ Or: hours ago —
0h6h12h18h24h

🍹🍸🍺 Drinks

Drink {{ index+1 }}

{{ drinkSummary(drink) }}

%

≈ {{ servingHint(drink) }}

Maximum number of drinks reached.

The results will show up here...
📈 Results
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Safe Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above the legal limit – do not drive. Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended. Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
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Sober in: {{ sobrietyTime }}

Drink Driving in South Africa

Ordinary licence holders 0.05%
Professional drivers (PrDP) 0.02%

Common Penalties in South Africa

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit – driving is permitted.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Drink driving (criminal — s65 NRTA) 0.05% – 0.149% BAC Criminal offence under s65 of the National Road Traffic Act — arrest and a court appearance, not just a fine.
Typical penalties
  • Criminal offence under section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act
  • Arrest, court appearance and possible fine
  • Possible licence suspension and imprisonment up to ~6 months
Offence type High-BAC / aggravated drink driving 0.15%+ BAC Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Aggravating factor — courts push toward upper end of penalties
  • Fines up to ~R120,000; multi-year licence suspension possible
  • Culpable homicide charges possible if crash with injury or death
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →

Legal limit

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Based on SA law ·

Elimination rate

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Assumed average

Standard Drinks

{{ standardDrinks }}🍺
Approx. consumed

Pure Alcohol

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Pure alcohol consumed

Pure Alcohol (g)

{{ alcoholGrams }} g
Total ethanol consumed

Calories

{{ calories }} kcal
From alcohol only — mixers add more

Time over limit

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Estimated duration above the legal driving limit
For your own safety, we recommend using a rate no higher than the average.
Current BACPeak BAC {{ initialSobriety }}{{ unitSign }} Legal limit {{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }}
Safe Caution Impaired Intoxicated Dangerous
Above the legal limit – do not drive. Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended. Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
{{ legalLimitTimeLabel }}
Sober in: {{ sobrietyTime }}

Drink Driving in South Africa

Ordinary licence holders 0.05%
Professional drivers (PrDP) 0.02%

Common Penalties in South Africa

Offence type No offence Below the legal limit – driving is permitted.
Offence type Over the 0.0 limit Zero-tolerance country — driving with any detectable alcohol is prohibited.
Offence type Over the legal limit You are over the legal limit and committing a drink-driving offence. Exact penalties depend on your BAC and local law.
Offence type Drink driving (criminal — s65 NRTA) 0.05% – 0.149% BAC Criminal offence under s65 of the National Road Traffic Act — arrest and a court appearance, not just a fine.
Typical penalties
  • Criminal offence under section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act
  • Arrest, court appearance and possible fine
  • Possible licence suspension and imprisonment up to ~6 months
Offence type High-BAC / aggravated drink driving 0.15%+ BAC Criminal offence — may result in a criminal record.
Typical penalties
  • Aggravating factor — courts push toward upper end of penalties
  • Fines up to ~R120,000; multi-year licence suspension possible
  • Culpable homicide charges possible if crash with injury or death
These are general penalties. Actual consequences may vary by local law and circumstances. Learn more →
{{ afterLabel }} {{ $t('unit.' + units) }} Status
{{ result.time }} {{ result.drunkenness }}
  • Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
  • Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended.
  • Above the legal limit – do not drive.
Create a pop-up notification

Sobriety Over Time

Your estimated BAC as your body clears the alcohol

Sober in {{ sobrietyTime }}
  • {{ lookaheadBacDisplay }}{{ unitSign }} Above the legal limit – do not drive. Close to the legal limit – driving not recommended. Safe to drive, but stay cautious.
  • {{ $t('unit.' + units) }}
  • Legal limit ({{ countryLimit }}{{ unitSign }})
👮 Health impact and legal consequences
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Peak BAC: {{ peakBAC }}

💡 Tips: drink water, eat, and avoid driving until below the legal limit and ideally sober.

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Attention‼️ The results are only approximate, so make sure you are sober before driving.

About results
Current BAC

Your Current BAC is the estimated concentration of alcohol in your blood, shown as a percentage. South African law sets the limit in grams per 100 ml of blood (and micrograms in breath); 0.05% is the same as 0.05 g per 100 ml — the reading an evidential test works to.

Legal limit

Under Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act, ordinary licence holders must stay under 0.05 g/100 ml (0.05% BAC), and Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) holders under 0.02 g/100 ml. Drink-driving is a criminal offence: you can be arrested at the roadblock and a conviction leaves a permanent criminal record. A 0.00% zero-tolerance limit has been signed into law but is not yet in force.

Elimination rate

Alcohol leaves the body at a steady pace of roughly 0.015% an hour, and nothing on the internet changes it. A cold shower, strong coffee or a plate of food may make you feel sharper, but your actual reading comes down only with time — which is why you can still be over the limit the next morning.

Standard Drinks

A standard drink is counted as about 10 grams of pure alcohol. Local servings carry more: a 340 ml “dumpy” of 5% beer is roughly 1.3 standard drinks and a 750 ml “quart” about 3, while a home pour of wine or a tot of spirits is around one. This total adds them up for you.

Pure Alcohol

The pure alcohol (in grams) your body has absorbed so far — the basis for both your standard-drink count and your BAC.

Time vs. Sobriety Table

The table projects your BAC each hour. Enter the time of your first drink and the estimates line up with the time of day, so you can see when you should fall back under 0.05% (or 0.02% on a PrDP). Status icons mark the hours that are safe to drive; leave it blank to work in hours elapsed.

Sobriety Over Time Graph

A line chart of your BAC dropping over the hours ahead, showing when it passes below the legal limit and below a genuinely safe level.

How Alcohol Affects You

A reference table linking BAC ranges to their typical effects on judgement, coordination and reaction time — impairment that begins well before the legal limit.

Legal limit reached in / Sober in / Peak BAC

Quick summary estimates:

  • Legal limit reached in: time until your BAC drops below the applicable limit (0.05% or 0.02% PrDP).

  • Sober in: time until it returns to ~0.000%.

  • Peak BAC: the highest level reached in the session.

Data used for calculations

Five factors that determine your result

Weight
Body weight determines how alcohol distributes in the body — more weight means a lower blood alcohol concentration.
Sex
Men and women metabolise alcohol at different rates because of differences in body water content.
Amount
The amount of pure alcohol consumed is the main factor that determines your BAC result.
Strength
A higher strength (%) means more ethanol in the same drink serving.
Time
The time of your first drink shows how BAC changes hour by hour and when you'll be sober again.

How much does South Africa drink?

Alcohol consumption per adult, per year

7.8L

litres of pure alcohol per adult (15+), per year

Per adult, that is roughly:

459 beers ≈ 9/week
433 glasses of wine ≈ 8/week
488 shots ≈ 9/week
7.8 L
0.0 L Ø 4.0 12.0 L

95% above the regional average

Ranks #5 of 47 in Africa Ranks #52 of 188 in the World Average in Africa: 4.0 L

How neighbours compare

#1 Namibia 12.0L #1 Africa
#2 South Africa 7.8L #5 Africa
#3 Eswatini 7.2L #8 Africa
#4 Botswana 6.0L #14 Africa
#5 Zimbabwe 5.4L #17 Africa
#6 Mozambique 1.9L #34 Africa

How safe are the roads in South Africa?

Road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, per year

24.5 /100k

road traffic deaths per 100,000 people, 2021

~30% of road deaths linked to alcohol WHO estimate, 2019 · 20–47%
279 road deaths per week WHO estimate, 2021
84 alcohol-linked deaths per week WHO-derived estimate
24.5
6.6 Ø 19.4 37.4

26% more road deaths than the regional average

#35 safest of 47 in Africa #176 safest of 195 worldwide Average in Africa: 19.4 per 100k

How neighbours compare

#1 Botswana 16.5 #17 Africa
#2 Mozambique 20.1 #24 Africa
#3 Namibia 22.0 #30 Africa
#4 South Africa 24.5 #35 Africa
#5 Eswatini 24.7 #36 Africa
#6 Zimbabwe 29.9 #45 Africa

Latest available year shown per country.

LIMITS NEARBY

BAC limits in neighbouring countries

Explore the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for drivers in neighbouring countries.

NA

Namibia

0.079%
Relaxed
BW

Botswana

0.05%
Moderate
ZW

Zimbabwe

0.08%
Relaxed
MZ

Mozambique

0.06%
Relaxed
SZ

Eswatini

0.05%
Moderate

Drink Driving in South Africa

Legal BAC limits for drivers in South Africa

Ordinary licence holders
0.05%
Moderate
Professional drivers (PrDP)
0.02%
Strict
Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act sets 0.05 g/100 ml blood (0.24 mg/1 000 ml breath) for ordinary drivers and 0.02 g/100 ml for Professional Driving Permit holders. A 0.00% zero-tolerance limit has been signed into law under the National Road Traffic Amendment Act but is not yet in force.

Common Penalties in South Africa

Consequences of exceeding South Africa's 0.05 g/100ml limit (0.02 g/100ml for professional drivers)

0.05% – 0.149% BAC
Drink driving (criminal — s65 NRTA)
  • Criminal offence under section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act
  • Arrest, court appearance and possible fine
  • Possible licence suspension and imprisonment up to ~6 months
0.15%+ BAC
High-BAC / aggravated drink driving
  • Aggravating factor — courts push toward upper end of penalties
  • Fines up to ~R120,000; multi-year licence suspension possible
  • Culpable homicide charges possible if crash with injury or death

Tips for Responsible Drinking

Practical tips for safer drinking

Pace yourself
Stick to the "one drink per hour" rule – your liver needs time to process alcohol.
Eat before and while drinking
A solid meal slows alcohol absorption – an empty stomach raises BAC faster.
Drink water
After each alcoholic drink, have a glass of water – it reduces dehydration and health risks.
Don't drive
Even small amounts of alcohol impair reaction time. If in doubt, call a taxi or stay overnight.

Source: World Health Organization.

Official sources & references

The limits and penalties on this page come from official government sources

Confirm the current rules directly with the responsible authorities:

Laws change — always check the latest limits and penalties with the official source before driving.

How we calculate your BAC

The exact formula, step by step

Your result is not a guess. It comes from the Widmark equation, the same formula forensic toxicologists use in court. Here it is, worked through with an example.

BAC = A ÷ (r × W) − (β × t)

where A = grams of pure alcohol, r = body-water factor (0.68 for men, 0.55 for women), W = weight in kg, β = elimination rate (~0.15 g/L per hour), and t = hours since your first drink.

  1. Pure alcohol (A). Three 500 ml beers at 5% ABV hold 3 × 500 × 0.05 × 0.789 ≈ 59 g of pure alcohol.
  2. Body water (r × W). For an 80 kg man: 0.68 × 80 = 54.4.
  3. Peak level. A ÷ (r × W) = 59 ÷ 54.4 ≈ 1.09 g/L — the same as 1.09‰ or about 0.11% BAC.
  4. Subtract elimination. After 2 hours: 1.09 − (0.15 × 2) = 0.79 g/L.

The calculator runs this same equation on your own weight, sex, drinks and timing — the numbers above are only a worked example. Method based on E. M. P. Widmark (1932); results are an estimate, not a legal measurement.

What people actually log

SmartBAC has run over 17,000 calculations in recent weeks. Of every drink people log, beer is the most common by far — about 6 in 10 — ahead of spirits and then wine.

Anonymous, aggregated first-party usage data from SmartBAC, July–August 2026.

FAQ

How long does alcohol stay in your system?

As a rough guide, your body clears alcohol at about 0.015% BAC per hour, and this pace cannot be hurried. A single standard drink takes roughly an hour to process, so a heavy night takes a long time to clear: if you go to sleep with a BAC around 0.15%, it can take 10 hours or more to return to zero. This is exactly why so many drivers are caught the morning after, still over the limit on the way to work.

How long alcohol stays detectable also depends on the test. In breath and blood it tracks your current BAC and fades over hours; in urine, specialised tests can detect it for a day or more; and hair testing can indicate use over months. Whether you drank beer, wine or spirits makes little difference once you account for the total alcohol — what matters is how many grams you drank, not the type. For driving, the figure that counts is your current BAC, and the only safe number before getting behind the wheel is 0.00%. Use the calculator to estimate your own time to zero.

How can I lower my BAC?

The honest answer is that you cannot actively lower your BAC — only time does that. Once alcohol is in your bloodstream, the liver removes it at a steady rate of roughly 0.015% per hour, and no trick changes that pace. Vomiting may clear alcohol that is still in your stomach and not yet absorbed, but it does nothing about the alcohol already in your blood. Water helps with dehydration and hangover symptoms, but it does not "flush" or dilute alcohol out of your system any faster.

Coffee, cold showers, energy drinks, fresh air and exercise are all in the same category — they may make you feel sharper, but your BAC is unchanged, which makes them genuinely dangerous if they convince you that you are fit to drive. There is no shortcut. If your BAC is up, the only safe plan is to wait it out and not drive until enough time has passed.

How accurate are breathalysers?

No breathalyser is perfectly precise — every device has a margin of error. Officers know this: roadside units are a screening tool, and any positive result is meant to be confirmed with a more accurate evidential test on a calibrated instrument, which is what carries weight as evidence.

Personal breathalysers vary enormously in quality. A certified fuel-cell device can give a reasonable indication, but a cheap keychain tester can be wildly inaccurate and should never be used to decide whether you are fit to drive. Readings also drift if a device is not regularly calibrated, or if you test too soon after a drink, when mouth alcohol can inflate the result. Treat any personal device as a rough guide only — if a reading is anywhere near the limit, the safe choice is not to drive.

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