Which plug adaptor do I need when travelling from South Africa to Vietnam?

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Summary

The table below summarises the plug types, voltage and frequency of electrical current in both South Africa and Vietnam.

South AfricaVietnam
Plug TypesM, NA, C, G
Voltage220V, 230V127V, 220V
Frequency of electrical current50Hz50Hz

Plug Adaptors

In South Africa there's more than one plug type in use.

What type of plug does your appliance have?

Your Appliance has Plug Type M

In Vietnam there's more than one socket type in use. You may require more than one adaptor.

Socket Type M
(South Africa) to Plug Type A
(Vietnam)

Socket Type M
(South Africa) to Plug Type C
(Vietnam)

Socket Type M
(South Africa) to Plug Type G
(Vietnam)

Your Appliance has Plug Type N

In Vietnam there's more than one socket type in use. You may require more than one adaptor.

Socket Type N
(South Africa) to Plug Type A
(Vietnam)

Socket Type N
(South Africa) to Plug Type C
(Vietnam)

Socket Type N
(South Africa) to Plug Type G
(Vietnam)

Warnings

Voltage

The voltage, 230V, which is present in South Africa, is significantly different to what's used in Vietnam.

Some appliances are compatible with multiple voltages. To find out if your appliance is one of them, check the appliance label and/or instruction booklet. An example appliance label is below.

Appliance label showing a tolerable voltage range of 100 to 240 volts
This appliance is compatible with a range of voltages as it shows two voltage figures with a dash in between them. In this example, the appliance may be plugged into any outlet ranging from 100 to 240V without a voltage transformer, though a socket adaptor would still be needed if the sockets don't match.

See examples of appliance labels

Appliance label showing a voltage of 240 volts
This appliance is only compatible with a single voltage as only one voltage (240V) is printed on the label.
Appliance label showing a tolerable voltage range of 100 to 240 volts
This appliance is compatible with a range of voltages as it shows two voltage figures with a dash in between them. In this example, the appliance may be plugged into any outlet ranging from 100 to 240V without a voltage transformer, though a socket adaptor would still be needed if the sockets don't match.
Appliance label showing two tolerable voltages: 115 volts and 230 volts
This appliance is compatible two voltages as it shows two voltage figures with a slash between them. Appliances displaying labels like this will have a physical switch located on them somewhere, allowing you to switch between the two voltages shown here. In this example, the appliance may be plugged into an outlet of 115V or 240V (provided the switch is in the correct position) without a voltage transformer, though a socket adaptor would still be needed if the sockets don't match.

Is your appliance compatible with the voltages used in Vietnam (127V and 220V)?

If your appliance is not compatible with multiple voltages, you will need a transformer to adjust the voltage input when using your appliance in Vietnam.

Considerations

Voltage

The voltage, 230V, which is also present in South Africa, is not exactly the same to what's used in Vietnam, but the difference is tolerable, so you should not need a transformer when using sockets with this voltage. Be sure to carefully check the voltage before using your appliance in sockets in Vietnam. You may need to ask a local resident, an electrician, or the local government to find out in situations when the power sockets are not labelled with their voltages.

Good to know

Frequency of Electrical Current

The frequency found in South Africa and Vietnam is exactly the same (50Hz). Timing devices and appliances that use motors will function as expected under this frequency.

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