A client in California says, "Let's hop on a quick call at 9am." You say yes, then realise 9am for them is 5pm in Lagos, and the call lands in the middle of your only stable-power window. Or worse, you were the one who agreed to "9am" without asking whose 9am. Time zone mistakes are small, but they cause missed calls, late deliveries and clients who quietly decide you're unreliable.
This guide gives you a practical system for working across time zones from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or South Africa: how to read the gaps, how to write availability that can't be misunderstood, how to schedule meetings, and how to turn the difference into an advantage.
Know your own offset first
Every time zone is described as an offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Your country's offset doesn't change during the year, which makes it your fixed reference point.
| Country | Zone | Offset from UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Ghana | GMT | UTC+0 |
| Nigeria | WAT | UTC+1 |
| South Africa | SAST | UTC+2 |
| Kenya | EAT | UTC+3 |
None of these four countries uses daylight saving time. Your clients' countries often do, and that is where most confusion starts.
Why the gap keeps changing
The US, the UK and much of Europe move their clocks forward in spring and back in autumn. The dates differ by region, so for a few weeks each year the gap between you and a client is different from usual. The US and Europe don't even change on the same weekends.
That means "they're 6 hours behind me" is only true for part of the year. Don't memorise gaps. Check them each time you set a recurring meeting, and again in March, late March/April and late October/early November when clocks shift.
Rough gaps for a Nigerian freelancer (check the current date before relying on these)
- UK: Nigeria is one hour ahead in the UK's winter, and the same time in the UK's summer.
- US East Coast (New York): about 5 to 6 hours behind you, depending on the season.
- US West Coast (California): about 8 to 9 hours behind you.
- Australia (Sydney): several hours ahead of you, around 9 to 10, and it shifts because Australia's clocks change in the opposite season to the northern hemisphere.
If you're in Ghana, subtract one hour from Nigeria's difference; in South Africa, add one; in Kenya, add two. Use a world-clock tool to confirm rather than trusting arithmetic in your head.
Set up your tools once
- Add a second and third clock to your phone and computer for your main clients' cities. Label them by city name, not country, because large countries have several zones.
- Set your calendar's time zone correctly in Google Calendar or Outlook. If it's wrong, every invite you send will display wrongly to you and the other person.
- Use a meeting planner (any free "time zone converter" page works) when you need to find overlap between three or more people.
- Send calendar invites rather than typing times into chat. An invite converts automatically to the recipient's zone and cuts the "wait, whose time?" problem.
Write times so they can't be misread
A time without a zone is a guess. Use this format every time:
Thursday 19 November, 3:00pm WAT (9:00am New York time).
Three habits help:
- Name the day and the date. With a big gap, late evening for you can be a different calendar day for them.
- Give both zones in the first message, so the client can spot a mistake immediately.
- Use the 24-hour clock or add am/pm. "5" alone is how people end up at the wrong hour.
Avoid "my morning" or "end of day". Your end of day is not theirs.
State your working hours and response time
Many clients don't mind where you live. They mind not knowing when you'll answer. Put this in your proposal or first-week message (it fits neatly into a client onboarding checklist):
I work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm WAT. I reply to messages within one working day. For urgent issues, message me with "URGENT" in the first line and I'll check twice a day at 10am and 3pm WAT.
You're not promising to be online round the clock, and the client knows what to expect. Be honest about power and data too. If you lose connection often, say you have a backup plan (mobile data, a power bank, or a co-working space) without turning it into a long excuse.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Imagine Ada in Lagos works for a client in Chicago, which is about 6 hours behind Lagos in winter. The client works 9am to 5pm Chicago time, which is 3pm to 11pm in Lagos.
Ada doesn't want to work until 11pm, so she looks for overlap. If she offers 3pm to 6pm Lagos time for calls, that's 9am to 12pm for the client, a perfect window for the client's morning. The rest of her work, such as drafting and editing, she does in the Lagos morning, so the client finds finished work waiting at the start of their day.
That arrangement gives Ada three hours of live overlap and several hours of quiet focused time before it. The client sees fast turnaround. Ada sleeps normally. She sets one weekly call and handles everything else by written updates.
Now change the client to one in Sydney, who is ahead of Lagos by around 10 hours in November. The client's 9am is about 11pm the previous evening in Lagos. Live overlap is hard, so Ada would offer one short weekly call at, say, 8am Lagos (6pm Sydney), and rely on a clear written handover each evening. It's a different setup for the same person, which is why "fixed" availability is rarely the right answer.
Make the gap work for you
Asynchronous updates
When overlap is small, written updates carry the weight. End each working day with a three-line message: what you finished, what you're doing next, and anything you're blocked on. Clients in far-away zones love waking up to this.
Questions in batches
If every question costs a day of waiting, don't send them one by one. Collect questions, send them together with your suggested answers, and say "I'll proceed with option A unless I hear otherwise by 10am your time". The client only needs to say yes or no.
Overnight turnaround
With US clients, you can receive feedback in your afternoon, work on it in your evening or next morning, and have it back before they start their day. Some clients value that rhythm highly, but only if you agree the cut-off times clearly.
Meeting etiquette that protects you
- Propose two or three times in your zone and theirs, rather than asking "when are you free?"
- Confirm the day before. A short "See you tomorrow at 3pm WAT / 9am your time" catches mistakes.
- Join five minutes early and test audio. If power is shaky, charge your laptop and phone before, and keep your phone hotspot ready.
- Have a fallback. If the connection drops, say in advance: "If I disconnect, I'll rejoin within five minutes or send a message."
- Limit recurring calls. A weekly 30-minute call is plenty for most projects. More meetings mean fewer hours of paid work.
Deadlines and daylight saving
Deadlines are where zone errors cost money. "Due Friday" could mean Friday morning in Sydney, which is already Thursday afternoon in Lagos. Always ask, "Friday by what time and in which time zone?" and write it back to confirm.
For long contracts, put the deadline in UTC or in the client's zone and name it clearly. When a client's clocks change, check whether any recurring meeting or deadline has moved by an hour from your point of view. Set a calendar reminder for the two weekends a year it might matter.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the gap is constant. It changes when the client's country changes its clocks.
- Agreeing to "their business hours". That could mean working through the night for months. Offer a window instead.
- Replying instantly at all hours. It sets an expectation you can't sustain. Reply at your stated times.
- Skipping the date. A late-night Lagos slot is a different day elsewhere.
- Not logging overtime. If odd-hour calls eat into your day, track them. A time-tracking habit shows whether a client is costing more than they pay.
When a client demands odd hours
Some roles do need live coverage, such as support or live chat. That's fine if it's agreed upfront, priced for it, and written in the contract. If a client keeps pulling you into late calls for a fixed-price project, treat it like scope creep: say what the agreement covers and what extra availability costs.
Frequently asked questions
Should I change my profile time zone to match my client's?
No. Show where you actually are and state your overlap hours. Misleading a client about location can breach platform rules, and it creates problems when a call is missed. Confirm each platform's rules on its own site.
Is it okay to refuse calls outside my hours?
Yes, politely, if you stated your hours at the start. Offer the closest alternative and a written option.
What if the client is in a very different zone, like Australia?
Aim for one short weekly call at a time that suits both mornings or evenings, and rely on written updates. Work that doesn't need live feedback suits these clients better.
Which tool shows the time overlap best?
Any free time zone converter or the world-clock feature in your calendar works. The tool matters less than checking the actual date, because of clock changes.
Your next step
Open your calendar today, confirm its time zone is correct, and add clocks for your clients' cities. Then write a two-line availability message with your hours in WAT, GMT, SAST or EAT, and save it to paste into every new proposal.
Results from any side hustle or online work vary widely, and nothing here is a promise of income. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay upfront to start earning.