South Africa’s new sockets and plugs - All the details

[cr@zydude]

Interesting... Here I was thinking they were the same.

My Laptop from Switzerland seems to plug into my wall socket (https://www.livecopper.co.za/collections/wall-sockets/products/veti-2-single-switched-rsa-socket-with-3-x-v-slim-sockets-charcoal) just fine... Bit of a tight fit but not a problem... Maybe the SA plugs don't fit into the Swiss sockets?

Type N sockets (new SA) is designed to take type N plugs and type C (europins). Swiss type J is designed to take type J plugs, and type C plugs were designed to fit into multiple European sockets, including type J. From what I had read type N and J were not meant to be compatible, it's interesting that it works for you.

 

[mister]

No thanks will take decades for the old plugs to get phased out.

How many decades? the new plug was adopted 28 years ago

"South Africa has adopted the IEC 60906-1 plug and socket as SANS 164-2 in 1992"

SANS 164 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ebendl]

Looking at this they might actually have provided enough space in between the old style and new style sockets to allow me to plug in a wall-wart next to a normal old-style plug. But could very well not be.

This looks better to me:

 

[Blu82]

So the question becomes where do we find SABS rated multi plugs since most of the available multi plugs are junk and in some cases dangerous.

 

[Azg]

Where's the multiplugs for the new plug standard?

Here's my single biggest problem with SA plugs:

View attachment 928831 View attachment 928833


How do I fit these two into a single new socket without an adapter?

Those just plug in without an adaptor.

 

[ebendl]

Those just plug in without an adaptor.

Yes except that they put the two right next to one another. No way I would fit two of those in there. To make it worse the one wall-wart is vertically oriented, the other is horizontally oriented.

My point is part of the problem is that most of my adapter-ridden-plugs are because of wall-warts. There's just not enough space to fit them in and socket & multiplug designers seem to believe the only thing anybody plugs in are things with cords, so you can put plugs right next to one another.

Somehow the British got it right - their AC-DC adapters are just their same 3-prong plug:

 

[Azg]

Yes except that they put the two right next to one another. No way I would fit two of those in there. To make it worse the one wall-wart is vertically oriented, the other is horizontally oriented.

My point is part of the problem is that most of my adapter-ridden-plugs are because of wall-warts. There's just not enough space to fit them in and socket & multiplug designers seem to believe the only thing anybody plugs in are things with cords, so you can put plugs right next to one another.

Somehow the British got it right - their AC-DC adapters are just their same 3-prong plug:

View attachment 929499 View attachment 929501 View attachment 929505

I get your point. But as you pointed out adapter design (i.e. spacing and what is next to what) is not really up to SABS. It's the manufacturer's (e.g. Crabtree, MK, Clipsal, etc) design. So I would not knock the SANS standard because of a particular manufacturer's design. Shop around, you should be a able to find an adapter that suits your needs.

 

[ebendl]

I get your point. But as you pointed out adapter design (i.e. spacing and what is next to what) is not really up to SABS. It's the manufacturer's (e.g. Crabtree, MK, Clipsal, etc) design. So I would not knock the SANS standard because of a particular manufacturer's design. Shop around, you should be a able to find an adapter that suits your needs.

I hear you. I didn't knock the standard (or if it sounded like it, that was unintentional) and I did say that I like the new plugs exactly because they save so much space. Just my opinion that the reason why have so many adapter stacking is
1) Stupid sockets and multiplugs with too little space in-between
2) Inconsistent direction of AC-DC adapters (which the new standard doesn't solve at all)
3) Not enough adaption of one standard