Answers / EV charging

EV charging

What wiring rules apply to a home EV charger in South Africa?

A home EV wallbox must be installed to SANS 10142-1 (Edition 3.2 / 2024 of the wiring code, per ECASA) by a DoL-registered electrician, with a dedicated circuit and a valid Certificate of Compliance (CoC). The code’s contents list EV charging under clause 6.16.8 — Electric vehicle charging stations. Annex N is informative only: IEC symbols associated with switchgear — not an EV wiring chapter (some industry blogs mislabel it). Official SABS text is paywalled — treat the checklist below as a secondary summary, not the legal text.

Updated 26 October 2026 · Africa/Johannesburg

What the wiring code actually says about EV chargers

We read the public-comment draft of SANS 10142-1 Edition 3.3 (circulated by SABS TC 067/SC 06 in January 2026, comments closed 1 March 2026, hosted by SAPVIA). Clause 6.16.8, Electric vehicle charging stations, is one note long. It says an EV charging station “is deemed to be a machine or an appliance and not part of the electrical installation”, and points to SANS 62196 (plugs, sockets and vehicle connectors) and the SANS 61851 series (conductive charging systems).

For a homeowner, that means:

  • The wallbox itself is treated as equipment. Its safety comes from product standards (IEC/SANS 61851 and 62196), so ask for the model’s test certificates.
  • The circuit feeding it (DB breaker, earth leakage, cable, isolator and earthing) falls under the general rules of SANS 10142-1, the same as any other fixed appliance circuit. That part needs a registered electrician and a CoC.
  • In the draft we read, Annex N is “IEC symbols associated with switchgear”, which is informative only. Some installer blogs describe an EV-specific “Annex N” requiring Type A/B RCDs and SPDs. We could not match that to the draft text, so we treat those items as good practice from IEC 60364-7-722, not as quoted SANS clauses.

Caveat: the edition in force is SANS 10142-1:2024 Ed. 3.02 (approved 9 August 2024, R3 036 on the SABS store). We have not read that paid copy. The Ed. 3.3 draft could still change before it is published. Your electrician works to the edition in force on the contract date.

Consumer checklist (ask your electrician)

  • Dedicated circuit from the distribution board, with a local isolator
  • Outdoor or exposed units typically IP54+ (IP65 often preferred)
  • Correct residual-current protection: older Type AC earth leakage is generally not adequate for EVSE that can produce smooth DC fault current
  • Common practical pattern in IEC 60364-7-722-based installer explainers (not SANS clause text): wallbox with certified 6 mA DC residual detection (RDC-DD) plus upstream Type A 30 mA — or upstream Type B if the charger has no RDC-DD
  • Surge protection (SPD) commonly recommended on the EV circuit
  • Cable size and earthing matched to the design current
  • Written CoC after commissioning
Not legal advice. Your electrician designs to the published SABS wording and municipal rules. Body corporate / sectional-title schemes usually need permission for common-property runs.

Related answers

Sources

  • Electrical Contractors’ Association / ECASA announcements of SANS 10142-1:2024 Edition 3.2; TOC verification of clause 6.16.8 vs Annex N (switchgear symbols) via public SANS 10142-1 contents copies
  • ChargePoint SA and peer installer explainers summarising Annex N themes (Type A/B RCD patterns, dedicated circuit, SPD, IP rating, CoC) — secondary only
  • SABS TC 067/SC 06, SANS 10142-1 Ed. 3.3 Draft South African Standard (public enquiry, Jan 2026): clause 6.16.8 note; Annex N title; normative references SANS 61851 / 62196 (read 26 Oct 2026)
  • SABS store: SANS 10142-1:2024 Ed. 3.02, approved 9 Aug 2024, replaces Ed. 3.01; R3 036. Buy it if you need the binding text
Need a quote that matches this answer? Structured briefs for SA installers.
Get quotes Full FAQ