Senegal is located in Western Africa. Tourists who would want to go there must know some bits of information about the country first before going there. In Senegal, the primary types of electrical outlet are Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug, Type D Indian BS-546, Type E European CEE 7/4, and Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB. For the voltage used by the appliances and electronic gadgets, it is 220-240 volts with a frequency of 50Hz like most countries in Europe and Africa. In addition, a tourist who’s going to Senegal must be prepared with adapters and voltage converters.

Adapters are used to alter the shape of the plug so that it could be used together with an electrical outlet present in Senegal. There are different kinds of adapters designed for particular types of plugs, however, there is also the universal adapter which could be used together with almost any kind of plug and electrical outlet in Senegal. Aside from the adapters, there are also voltage converters that would allow a tourist to use his or her appliances and electronic gadgets in Senegal despite the difference in voltage. If the voltage used by an appliance or electronic gadget is 110-120 volts and a tourist would insist on using it together with the 220-240 volts used in the electrical outlet in Senegal, this might cause damage to the gadget or even accidents. Examples of voltage converters that could be used by a tourist in Senegal are travel combination voltage converter and step-up and step-down transformer.

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 Senegal. The Type C CEE 7/16 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 Senegal. Also, the receptacle end of the adapter is usually compatible with any standard electronic household plug in Senegal 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 CEE 7/16 Europlug are 4.0mm in diameter, 19mm long and are spaced 19mm apart. In using appliances and gadgets in Senegal, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug could also be safely used with the Type C, Type E, Type F, and some Type L electrical outlets. In addition, the Type C CEE 7/16 Europlug is also the most widely used electrical outlet all over continental Europe and in the former Soviet Republics. This plug in Senegal is also non-polarized and non-grounded. Aside from Senegal, 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 D Indian BS-546 Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type D plug

In this Type D Indian 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. It is an old British standard electrical outlet which is still the primary household electrical outlet in countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Namibia, and Hong Kong.The Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet  is most compatible with the Type D Old British Plug Adapter that is sometimes used in Senegal. The receptacle end of this Type D Indian BS-546 plug is also compatible with common household plugs except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug.

Although the Type D Indian BS-546 electrical outlet and plug is not the standard in Senegal and other countries, it is still used in various households. In terms of design and appearance, the Type D Indian BS-546 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 Senegal or even in other countries.

Type D outlet

Type D adapter

Type E European CEE 7/4 Electrical Adapter Plug and Electrical Outlet

Type E plug and outlet

The Type E electrical outlet could also be used with Type C plugs while the Type E European CEE 7/4 plugs will work along with Type F outlets in Senegal. For the electrical outlet and plug of the Type E European CEE 7/4, the male pin is installed upwards in the electrical outlet, with the live connection on the left and neutral connection on the right.

Type E adapter

The specifications of this Type E European CEE 7/4 plugs used in Senegal are two round pins spaced 19mm apart with a hole for the male grounding pin of the electrical socket. However, the Type E European CEE 7/4 is not compatible with the Type F of Germany, the Netherlands, and other continental countries of Europe because of the round male pin in the socket which will make the insertion of the plug to the electrical outlet physically impossible. The Type E European CEE 7/4 electrical outlet and plug is the standard in France, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, and other European countries including Senegal.

Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB Plug, Electrical Outlet, and Adapter

Type K plug and outlet

The Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB is the standard electrical outlet in Senegal and the receptacle end of this plug is compatible with any standard household plug in Senegal except the Type M South African SABS1661 (Old British BS-546 Large) plug. This Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB also has pins that are 4.8mm in diameter, similar to the Schuko plug of Germany and France. However, the difference of the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB Danish plug from the German and French schuko is that the standard plug of Senegal has a 6.0mm half-cylinder grounding pin that is uniquely shaped and positioned. This kind of plug from Senegal is also polarized and grounded. Although Europlugs and Schuko plugs are compatible with the Swiss electrical outlet, the connection might be grounded.

For the electrical outlet, the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB electrical outlet common in Senegal is equipped with a switch to prevent the live pins from touching when connecting or disconnecting the plug. There are also some electrical outlets that do not have a switch, but these are required to have a cavity that prevents the pins from touching. Also, the electrical outlet was designed in such a way that the pins will not come in contact with each other. There are new electronic installations in Senegal as well that require grounded electrical outlets and older versions must be protected by RCD/GFCI (HFI in Denmark).

Type K adapter

In addition, this plug commonly used in Senegal could only be plugged into a Danish electrical outlet. In particular, the specifications of the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB Danish plug and electrical outlet are two round pins and a spade grounding pin. This Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DBplug used in Senegal is also known as Danish 10 A/250 V and it is not compatible with appliances that need to be earthed. Another variation of the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB plug is the DK 2-5a which is solely used for surge-protected computer circuits. In 2008, because of the huge amount of E and F Shucko plugs in Senegal, the government had decided to make it legal to install the Type E electrical outlet in homes and buildings instead of the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB, but installation of the Type F Schuko is still considered illegal. And although the Type K Danish SRAF 1962/DB electrical outlet and plug is the standard in Senegal, there are also some countries that use this electrical outlet and plug like Bangladesh, Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Denmark, Tunisia, Madagascar, Maldives, and Guinea.

Voltage Converters and Universal Adapters

Travel Voltage Converter

If a tourist wants to use his or her gadget in Senegal, the best way is by using voltage converters such as the resistor-network converters, transformers, and in some cases the combination of both. 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 Senegal 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.  There is a switch that enables the changing of modes from resistor-network converter to transformer, depending on the tourist’s needs in Senegal. The resistor-network converters to be used in Senegal 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 Senegal, 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 Senegal that are not compatible with the electrical outlet present in Senegal is the combination of resistor-network converters and transformer. There are also universal adapters that could be used with any type of plug and electrical outlet, may it be in Senegal or another country.

Transformer

These voltage converters and adapters will be very handy if a tourist would plan a trip to Senegal and intends to bring along some gadgets that require a particular voltage. There are certain adapters that would fit particular plugs and these could be bought in hardware stores or electrical outlets in Senegal or before heading there.

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