Destinations

Here's the scoop about electrical outlets, adapters, transformers & converters ... US to Botswana. Very important: buy and bring your adapters and voltage converters with you. These items are not sold in Botswana.

What's the device's electrical configuration?

Each electrical device works at a certain voltage, uses a maximum number of amps, and runs at a certain rate (hertz). Look at your device for the exact details (on the back, or on the power adapter), but it usually states something like "110-240V 50/60Hz 1.5A" or "100-120V ~ 50/60Hz 1.8 A".

In the United States, most devices run at "100 - 120V". In start contrast, the electrical voltage used in Africa (and Europe and Asia) is 220-240V. So electrical devices available in the US either run only at the single voltage range of 110-120V or are dual voltage. You have to check your device to find out what it voltage it supports.

• Easy: If your device supports voltage rates up to 240V, it will only need an electric plug adapter to be plugged into the wall/extension cord outlets in Botswana.
• Harder: If the device supports electrical input from 100-120V (or 110-120V), it will only work on the electrical system in the United States/Canada, unless if you purchase an appropriate converter or transformer.

Plug Outlets/Receptacles

Here is what we have in the United States:	Botswana has two types of electrical plug receptacles: British and South African

What to bring to Botswana?

Plug adapters which enable a US-plug to be plugged into a wall outlet in Botswana are usually only available in the United States. Buy plug adapters before you leave this country. You can purchase adapters to switch between British and South African outlets, and sometimes you can find a low-quality universal adapter.

Item	Name and Description
	American 3 prong to 2 prong adapter Handy to have if you need to plug in a grounded plug to an ungrounded plug. This is especially handy if you lose your other power adapters. You can still use the universal power adapter which is available for purchase at hardware stores in Gaborone.
	British-style non-grounded plug adapter Handiest for dual voltage appliances (i.e. you turn a dial so that they run at 220-240V), such as a hairdryer and clothes iron.
	British-style Grounded plug adapter This style is my favorite for my laptop (which I treat with care).
	South African-style grounded plug adapter For those occasional South African plugs. Note: once you arrive in Gaborone, it makes sense to get a Britsh-to-S.A. and S.A. to British adapters.
	Low Wattage Power Transformer This voltage transformer to convert 110 voltage to 220 will do the trick for low-wattage devices (such as digital camera chargers that aren't dual voltage). This does not work with high wattage devices (e.g. hairdryers).

Where to buy:

These little items are rather difficult to find, especially the plugs for South Africa. Airport travel/luggage shops often have the British-type adapters. I recommend ordering them from an online retailer. Here are some resources:

Magellan's - (Ann's experience: Great store! I've purchased a variety of this brand of adapters over the years, and they have been very sturdy and work well. If you get this brand, you should purchase all three for your various devices to work.)

• Grounding Adaptor Plug C (this is the British-style)
• Grounding Adaptor Plug H (this is the South Africa style)
• Non-grounding Adaptor Plug C (British style)

Rand McNally Travel Stores - (Ann's experience: Love the store. And in 2002, I purchased these adapters. The prongs started breaking within three weeks. Perhaps the products are now sturdier, so check carefully before making a purchase.)

• The Austin House Grounded Travel Adapter: South Africa
• Austin House Grounded Travel Adapter: Great Britain

Grounded? Ungrounded? To be on the safe side, you can bring both Grounded and Ungrounded adapters (South African adapters are only available grounded). At the University of Botswana, virtually all the plugs support grounded plugs and are structured to not allow ungrounded plugs to be inserted.

About Converters & Transformers:

Converters/transformers are very helpful when you want to bring a rather low-power device from the US. Last year I brought the charger for my Palm Pilot, my cell phone, and my digital camera. The power converter/transformer worked great.

Converters/transforms for higher-power devices, often including hair dryers and clothes irons, are very large and cumbersome and expensive for short-term travel. It is recommended instead that you bring dual-voltage versions of these (e.g. travel irons, travel hair dryers), so you can plug it in with the aid only of a plug adapter. (Note: On those appliances you usually manually switch the power voltage over to 220-240V). These are available in most travel stores (e.g. Magellan's, Rand McNally, etc.).