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
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 / SA Annex N explainers: 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 store — purchase the official standard if you need primary text
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