Mozambique is a country located in southeastern Africa that is rich in natural resources. If a person would want to visit this country some of the basic information a tourist must know includes the standard voltage used in Mozambique as well as the primary types of electrical outlet and plug.

In Mozambique, the standard voltage used in electronic gadgets and appliances is 220-240 volts while the types of plug and electrical outlet are the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko, and Type M BS-546 South African. Also, the Type M BS-546 South African plug is very common in South Africa including its capital, Maputo.

Aside from knowing the different types of plug and electrical outlet present in Mozambique, a tourist should also know the particular kinds of adapters and voltage converters that he would need. Adapters are used when the shape of the plug is not compatible with the shape of the electrical outlet present in Mozambique. Through the adapters, different plugs will finally be compatible with electrical outlet in Mozambique. There is also the universal adapter that could be used together with any electrical outlet. Another thing to bring in Mozambique are voltage converters. These are used to make the voltages used by electronic gadgets and appliances compatible with the voltage used by the electrical outlet in Mozambique.

There are electronic gadgets and appliances that do not use the 220-240 volts standard in Mozambique, like electronic gadgets and appliances made in the USA (110-120 volts) and Japan (100 volts). The common kinds of voltage converters that could help a tourist’s trip to Mozambique be more convenient are the network-resistor converter, step-up and step-down transformer, and combination voltage converter.

Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug Electrical Outlet and Adapter

Type C plug and outlet

The Type C Europlug is also known as the CEE 7/16 (Europlug 2.5 A/250 V unearthed), which is a bit similar, only slightly smaller, to the CEE 7/17 and it is one of the most commonly used electrical outlet and plug in Mozambique. The Type C Europlug alters the shape of the appliance’s plug so that it could be used into a “Type C” European CEE 7/16 Class II non-grounded Europlug socket or a Soviet-era Russian GOST 7396 Class II non-grounded socket used in Mozambique. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Mozambique and from any country, aside from the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug.

Type C adapter

The pins of the Type C Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced  19mm apart. In using appliances and gadgets in Mozambique, the Type C Europlug could also be safely used with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets. In addition, the Europlug is also the most widely used electrical outlet all over continental Europe and in the former Soviet Republics. This plug in Mozambique is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Mozambique, there are also countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pacific Rim region, Central and South America, and Caribbean that use this kind of adapter.

Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko Electrical Outlet, Plug, and Adapter

Type F plug and outlet

Commonly known simply as the Schuko plug, the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko plug and electrical outlet was derived from the German word “Schukostecker” which means “protective contact plug.” This electrical outlet in Mozambique is also similar to the Type E with the difference being its two earth clips on the side instead of the female earth contact. The Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is used for the “Type F” CEE 7/4 Schuko style electrical socket of Germany or to a “Type E” CEE 7/5 socket of France. The receptacle end of Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is compatible with most sockets except the “Type M” South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546) plug and the non-grounded CEE 7/16 Europlug Socket because of its 4.0mm pin receptacles that are too small for the 4.8mm pins of the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko.

Type F adapter

On the other hand, the plug end of Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko is compatible with the variations of the Schuko electrical outlet for France and Germany. The pins of this adapter in Mozambique are 4.8mm in diameter, 19mm long, and spaced 19mm apart.

They have both side-grounding clips and a receptacle for the male grounding pin which is found in French Schuko sockets. If the appliance or electronic gadget to be used in Mozambique is already a Schuko, there is no need to use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko adapter for the electrical outlet. This Schuko plug and receptacle in Monaco also have side grounding contacts which allow symmetrical connection system for live and neutral to be reversed. Most European countries including Mozambique use the Type F CEE 7/5 Schuko except Denmark, Italy, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus that have their own standard electrical outlet.

Type M BS-546 South African Plug, Electrical Adapter, and Electrical Outlet

Type M plug and outlet

The Type M South African plug has a technical name of BS 546 (South African 15 A/250 V) and is the standard plug in Mozambique. This kind of electrical plug has three circular pins and is a little bit larger compared to the Type D. Also, the Type M BS-546 South African plug is commonly used in Lesotho, South Africa, and Hong Kong. For the Type M adapter, the neutral pins are 7mm in diameter and spaced 25mm apart with a grounding pin that’s 8.7mm in diameter. This Type M BS-546 South African plug used in Mozambique is also polarized and grounded. Moreover, the Type M BS-546 South African and the Type D Indian plugs are small versions of the old British BS-546 standard. These two are often confused and used in the same location although if a tourist is visiting Mozambique, it is still best to bring an adapter for these plugs and electrical outlets.

Type M adapter

The Type M BS-546 South African plug and electrical outlet might be used in some countries as mentioned above, including Mozambique, but even in this country, the Type M BS-546 South African plug and electrical outlet is now replaced by the Type G. However, old houses and buildings in Mozambique still use the Type M BS-546 South African electrical outlet and most appliances and electronic gadget that uses the Type M BS-546 South African plug are air-conditioning circuits that are mounted on the wall as well as some kinds of washing machine.

Voltage Converters

Combination Voltage Converter

Most appliances and electronic gadgets made in the United States of America (USA) have a voltage of 110-120 and using it directly on a 220-240 electrical outlet in Mozambique would cause damage to the appliance or electronic gadget, to the extent that it might be totally fried out or  might even cause a fire. If a tourist wants to use his or her gadget in Mozambique, the best way is by using voltage converters such as resistor-network converters, transformers, and in some cases the combination of both. The resistor-network converters to be used in Mozambique are usually advertised to support as much as 50-1600 Watts and are just ideal to use for short periods of time.

Universal Adapter

The resistor-network converter is also not recommended for digital devices like laptop computers however it is great for lightweight electronics like hair dryers and irons. If a tourist would want to use a laptop computer or charge batteries for camera, mp3 players, camcorders, and radios in Mozambique, the ideal voltage converter is a transformer which lowers maximum watt rating. It could be used for long periods of time but is a little bit heavy because of the large iron rods and copper wires.

The last kind of voltage converter in order to use electronics in Mozambique that are not compatible with the electrical outlet present in Mozambique is the combination of resistor-network converters and transformer.  Most of the time, there is a switch that enables the changing of modes from resistor-network converter to transformer, depending on the tourist’s needs in Mozambique. These voltage converters and adapters will be very handy if a tourist has a trip to Mozambique and intends to bring along some gadgets that require a particular voltage.