Plug type
M South African plug (15 A)
Three very large round pins – South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia.
- Standard
- BS 546 (15 A), SANS 164-1
- Current
- 15 A
- Voltage
- 220–240 V
- Earth
- yes
- Pins
- 3
Type M is the larger, 15 A version of the old British round-pin design (BS 546) – the same layout as type D, but noticeably bigger. It is the dominant plug in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini and is also found in India and Nepal for heavier appliances. South Africa has adopted type N as its new standard, so newer buildings increasingly have both. A type D plug will not stay in a type M socket.
What it looks like
Three round pins in a triangle: two 7.1 mm pins 25.4 mm apart and an 8.7 mm earth pin 28.6 mm above them.
The drawings are schematic – they show the pin layout, not the exact dimensions of the standard.
Plugs that fit a type M socket
A type M plug also fits
Only sockets of its own type – elsewhere you need an adapter.
Where it is used 8
- the most common type in the country (4)
- one of the types in use (4)