SABS working to make hexagonal three-pin plug the primary socket type in new buildings

Daniel Puchert

Daniel Puchert

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South Africa's new plug standard and what people must do

South Africa's electrical standards are undergoing a major shift as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) works to make a compact, hexagonal three-pin plug the primary socket type in new buildings.

Officially called SANS 164–2, this design is often called the "ZA Plug" or simply "the new plug" and has been part of building code amendments for several years, though it has taken time to gain traction.
 
DStvNothingOn said:
Before this thread gets flooded with discussions about who is getting the tender, politicians needing money, etc., like every time this article is published: This is just a standard. There is no tender, and there is no way to make money from this. This is for new builds
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The amount of negativity and garbage the MyBB forumites vomit out in the comments section is physically draining. I hate coming into the comments section. Neckbeards trying to see who can be the fastest, and the most obnoxious.

Cess pool of acne ridden, piss smelling keyboard warriors.

I just want to read some valuable tech news julle p0ese.
 
@epah is the main point source. But I'd imagine his neck beard is threaded.

rubber_otter said:
The amount of negativity and garbage the MyBB forumites vomit out in the comments section is physically draining. I hate coming into the comments section. Neckbeards trying to see who can be the fastest, and the most obnoxious.

Cess pool of acne ridden, piss smelling keyboard warriors.

I just want to read some valuable tech news julle p0ese.
Click to expand...
 
rubber_otter said:
The amount of negativity and garbage the MyBB forumites vomit out in the comments section is physically draining. I hate coming into the comments section. Neckbeards trying to see who can be the fastest, and the most obnoxious.

Cess pool of acne ridden, piss smelling keyboard warriors.

I just want to read some valuable tech news julle p0ese.
Click to expand...
That is level 100 projection from you there.
 
DStvNothingOn said:
Before this thread gets flooded with discussions about who is getting the tender, politicians needing money, etc., like every time this article is published: This is just a standard. There is no tender, and there is no way to make money from this. This is for new builds
Click to expand...
Yes and no. International companies have to provide a special plug for appliances shipped to South Africa. Someone has to do it. There is a definitely a money making scheme behind this. Maybe tender is more known to be related to government, but either way tenders to supply these will be happening.
 
I actually quite like it as a plug. It is small, compact and because it has three pins, it won't have the stability issues that regular 2 prong plugs typically have.
 
rubber_otter said:
The amount of negativity and garbage the MyBB forumites vomit out in the comments section is physically draining. I hate coming into the comments section. Neckbeards trying to see who can be the fastest, and the most obnoxious.

Cess pool of acne ridden, piss smelling keyboard warriors.

I just want to read some valuable tech news julle p0ese.
Click to expand...
The articles are of very low standards though and multiple threads are created and spammed on the forum on the exact topic. This does not encourage proper conversation unfortunately. The chances are that a good discussion is there, but in a similar thread one might have missed.

Another tip is to add those one feel does not contribute to the topic on an ignore list.

But even those who have good discussions and opinions sometimes makes comments in jest because most of these articles can't be taken seriously, specially due to the excessive spam from Mybroadband and their various spam channels.

But yes, we can work on having better on topic discussions, in return Mybroadband can work on stop spamming the forum.
 
RedViking said:
So we are the only country to make this standard on all new plugs. Can't we rather adapt to the Europe standard so manufacturers don't have to provide special plugs just for South Africa ?
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that's one of the plusses of this thing though ... the "ZA plug socket" will accept Europe plugs (the regular 2-pin thing, not that BS round things with 2-pins like wtaf were they thinking?), they're the same shape with live and neutral pins in the same place, they just don't have an earth

must admit though I thought this new standard already died long ago, have never seen appliances etc that you buy in a shop come with such a plug ... so if I want to have this great new standard I'd have to change all the sockets in the house, but ALSO all the plugs on all devices new and old unless they were already 2-pin plugs that will work

sounds like way too much effort ... why don't appliances come with "ZA plug" already fitted?
 
This is great news for electrical contractors. They will be inundated with requests to replace the new flimsy plugs and sockets with the rugged old ones. Microwaves and tumble driers will burn through their "new type" plugs every couple of months. All in all a great way to increase consumer spending.
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
that's one of the plusses of this thing though ... the "ZA plug socket" will accept Europe plugs (the regular 2-pin thing, not that BS round things with 2-pins like wtaf were they thinking?), they're the same shape with live and neutral pins in the same place, they just don't have an earth

must admit though I thought this new standard already died long ago, have never seen appliances etc that you buy in a shop come with such a plug ... so if I want to have this great new standard I'd have to change all the sockets in the house, but ALSO all the plugs on all devices new and old unless they were already 2-pin plugs that will work

sounds like way too much effort ... why don't appliances come with "ZA plug" already fitted?
Click to expand...
I'm refering to this one.
1736322063570.png
 
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PowerFactor said:
It's just incredible how amazing the ZA plug is. You can't even fit two chargers next to each other.
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But I can plug my welder, compressor or any big equipment in anywhere and don't have to fit special plugs to dedicated areas.
 
NarrowBandFtw said:
that's one of the plusses of this thing though ... the "ZA plug socket" will accept Europe plugs (the regular 2-pin thing, not that BS round things with 2-pins like wtaf were they thinking?), they're the same shape with live and neutral pins in the same place, they just don't have an earth

must admit though I thought this new standard already died long ago, have never seen appliances etc that you buy in a shop come with such a plug ... so if I want to have this great new standard I'd have to change all the sockets in the house, but ALSO all the plugs on all devices new and old unless they were already 2-pin plugs that will work

sounds like way too much effort ... why don't appliances come with "ZA plug" already fitted?
Click to expand...
Doesn't Europe use the round schuko plug?
 
RedViking said:
So we are the only country to make this standard on all new plugs. Can't we rather adapt to the Europe standard so manufacturers don't have to provide special plugs just for South Africa ?
Click to expand...

Looks like this new plug matches what is the standard in Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

But its all well and good with SABS going "This is the standard". I can't buy the plugs from a place like Builders so that is basically a non-starter for me.

**EDIT** The one thing I definitely don't like about the new standard, or at least how many manufacturers are implementing it, is that some these plugs aren't switched at the wall.
 
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