Power Plug Guide Will your devices work abroad?

Travel adapter from Colombia to South Africa

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Adapter Required

Yes — coming from Colombia, you will need a travel adapter for South Africa. Colombia uses Type A/Type B plugs, and South Africa uses Type C/Type M/Type N, so the pin shapes will not fit any wall socket. Voltages differ (110 V at home vs 230 V abroad), so check the label on each device. Most modern dual-voltage chargers handle the swing without a converter, but heating appliances usually do not. The mains frequency is also different (60 Hz vs 50 Hz). This rarely matters for electronics but can affect motor-driven devices like clocks and shavers.

Colombia (home)

Type A
Two flat parallel pins
Type B
Two flat pins + round ground

South Africa (destination)

Type C
Two round pins (Europlug)
About Type C ↗
Type M
Three large round pins
About Type M ↗
Type N
Two round pins + round ground
About Type N ↗

Electrical specs

Colombia
110 V
60 Hz
⚡ Differs
South Africa
230 V
50 Hz
⚡ Voltage converter may be needed. Check your device label — most modern electronics (phones, laptops) support 100–240 V and only need a plug adapter. Hair dryers, kettles, and older appliances may need a step-up or step-down converter.
〜 Frequency differs (60 Hz vs 50 Hz). Rarely an issue for most electronics, but can affect motor-driven devices like clocks and shavers.

More about plugs in South Africa

In South Africa, the standard power plug is Type C and Type M and Type N. The country runs on 230 volts at 50 Hz. That means wall sockets in South Africa can be one of 3 different shapes — Type C, Type M, Type N, and your plug needs to physically match the socket to fit.

Full South Africa plug guide →