Electrical Plug

Big plugs =


two prong plugs=
old ones like these

and mostly like these - can fit into those bathroom shaving sockets


Our actual wall sockets can all take the 3 prong plug - you need an adaptor for the 2 pronged ones but most hotel/rooms will have an adaptor as our hairdryers, cell phone chargers and small appliances mostly have the 2 pronged plug.

 

Ja - adaptor must have 3 prongs to go into the wall socket and must be able to take whatever plugs you use (duh). If you are going to get an SA cell phone then the chargers will have 2 prongs and would need an adaptor. That is if Eskom has power to start off with !!

Just bring 2 sticks and some kindling.....

 

Is this plug similar to the mainland EU plug or SE Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia) plug?

 

but from Gronum pics (second pic), it looks possible as it's thinner vs the first one and my universal plug adapter don't have a fat plug like the first one, only the second pic one

 

If it can fit into those shaver plugs then it should be fine. Will try and get the correct naming and picture of the second (round) plug to clear things up.

 

Hey - pay attention!
Didn't Pete or somebody clear this up before???

www.walkaboutravelgear.com/8G.htm

 

Probably but I like to have the last say. Like now.

 

FYI, I bought this off frys yesterday

http://www.conair.com/travel-smart-grounded-adapter-plug-south-africa-p-479.html

Paid only US$5.29 + 9% tax, so it's cheap and for South Africa, you can't buy the universal plug since their plug is fatter than normal EU plug. I have just compared.

 

I may be stupid but it's still not clear to me.

In simple terms - is the Sth African electrical socket the same as the European socket?

 

Is this all I would need? Do I need a power converter so as to not fry my non-compatible 220V items? On that note, I would be charging my computer, camera, and cell phone. Does anyone know how these items would fare with just the adaptor?

 

Most modern adaptors have "smarts" built in to sense the voltage, and automatically switch to the apropriate one. This is mostly true for laptop adaptors, however to be sure you would have to check what you have, usually would be written on the adaptor itself such as 110/220, if not google is your friend.

 

Will we be able to buy these adapters at a shop at the airport? I'm betting my local Radio Shack isn't carrying SA plugs.

 

I ended up buying this plug adaptor, only thing I could find...would I also need a voltage converter? I plan on using it for my digital camera and to charge my cell phone and possibly my laptop.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Targus-World-Travel-Adapters-APK01US/dp/B000ES6KPM"]Amazon.com: Targus World Power Travel Adapters APK01US (Black): Electronics[/ame]

Someone told me that they could/would have both the plugs and voltage converters at airports incase I needed to purchase the right ones.

Can anyone confirm this or help me out? Thanks...

 

I ended up calling AAA and they sell a universal adapter that works in SAfrica and it was confirmed that it regulates the voltage/watts so that all US 110/60 items will be safe. I am no electrician so if the exact terminoligy is off I am sorry. The price was $57. This might be a little pricey because of the "universal" part but I would expect the item that regulates everything would cost a little more.

 

See the previous posts - almost all laptops, phone chargers and digital camera chargers are set for variable voltage. If it says 110v-220v on it then you will not need a voltage adaptor. Hairdryers are often problematic as they are sometimes set only to operate on 110v.

 

Voltage rating: 250 VAC
Maximum current rating: 10 Amps
Worldwide voltage compatible: (110 VAC–250 VAC)

I should be good then right?

 

Yep, you're good to go with just an adapter.


Just to confuse things, Port Elizabeth has a voltage of 250v compared to the rest of the country which is 220v, if you're using items in PE make sure they are rated up to 250v.