Tourists who have the country of Ghana in their itinerary must know the kind of electrical outlet and plug used in this country in order to avoid problems and delay especially in terms of using their electronic gadgets and appliances. In Ghana, the types of electrical outlet used are the Type G BS 1363 and Type D Old British  BS 546.

In turn, the voltage used by appliances and electronic gadgets is 220-240 volts. If a person who is visiting Ghana would want to use an appliance or electronic gadget that has a 110-120 voltage, he must use a plug adapter and a step-down transformer.

Type G BS 1363  3-Pin Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type G plug

The Type G electrical plug is a British 3-pin plug (13 A/230-240 Volts, 50 Hertz earthed and fused) with a rectangular blade that is used widely in Ghana. Also, the Type G British 3-pin  has a receptacle end that is compatible with most household plug types, except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. The plug and electrical outlet type used in Ghana is a British BS-1363 13-amp plug. The plug of this Type G British 3-pin is polarized and grounded but not fused.  For the adapter, the live and neutral pins are 4 x 6 x 18 mm apart, with the grounding pin measuring 4 x 8 x 23mm.  It has a protective fuse inside to protect cords from high-current circuits and most of the time, the Type G electrical outlet includes a safety switch. Another name for the Type G British 3-pin plug common in Ghana is the 13-amp plug and for safety reasons, the United Kingdom (UK) required electrical outlets in households that use the Type G British 3-pin to have shutters over the live and neutral connections of the electrical outlet. In the insertion of the longer earth pin from the plug, the safety shutters of the Type G British 3-pin is opened.

Typw G outlet with fuse

Another purpose of the shutters is to prevent the use of incompatible plugs in Ghana. However, there are cases wherein the safety shutters of this electrical outlet could be opened through a screwdriver in order to insert Type C plugs. But then, the usage of Type G British 3-pin outlet along with another kind of plug is not recommended because these plugs do not have a fuse. The regulation about the safety shutters and fuse is followed in Ghana and all the other countries that use the type G British 3-pin electrical outlet and plug like United Kingdom, China, Brunei, Cameroon, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Northern Ireland, Nigeria, England, Grenada, Macau, Malta, Malaysia, Singapore, Saint Vincent, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and Hong Kong.

Type G Adapter

In terms of compatibility, the Type G British 3-pin electrical outlet will work together with the Type G British 3-pin plug and adapter in Ghana. For the electrical outlet, the Type G British 3-pin sockets are not compatible with other types of electrical outlet and could not be used in Ghana. Also, the design of the Type G British 3-pin plug commonly used in Ghana features three rectangular prongs that form a triangle and the British standard requires the use of the three-wire grounded and fused plug for all the connections to the power mains, including class II, two-wire appliances in Ghana and in other countries. Through this adapter, a tourist can finally use his or her appliance or electronic gadget in Ghana. With all the safety measures and features of this plug and outlet, it is considered as one of the safest in the world. However, with all its features, the  plug is bulky and cumbersome. Some people claim that the Type G British 3-pin plug is mostly bigger than the appliances they are connected to but if a tourist would want to use his or her electronic gadget or appliance in Ghana, then there must be a Type G British 3-pin adapter. Although the adapter would not change the voltage used, it will enable the plug of the appliance or electronic gadget to be inserted to the electrical outlet used in Ghana.

Type D Old British  BS 546  Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

The Type D Old British  BS 546 adapter is used for the “Type D” Indian (Small 5 amp BS-546) electrical outlet in Ghana. The receptacle end of this Type D plug is also compatible with common household plugs in Ghana except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. In this Type D Old British BS 546  plug adapter, the live and neutral pins are 5mm in diameter, spaced 22mm apart, and the grounding pin is 7mm in diameter with the plug being polarized and grounded.

Type D outlet

In terms of design and appearance, the Type D Indian electrical outlet and plug is often confused with the Type M South African electrical outlet and plug. However, as similar as these two may seem, they are not compatible and must not be used together in Ghana or even in other countries. It is an old British standard electrical outlet which is still the primary household electrical outlet in countries like Ghana, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Qatar.

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