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Electrical Cable Colours and Colour Codes in South Africa

Electrical cable colours in South Africa: live, neutral and earth in older and newer wiring, plus three-phase colours. Then get a quote from an electrician.

Close-up of brown, blue and green/yellow wire cores alongside older red and black cores
Close-up of brown, blue and green/yellow wire cores alongside older red and black cores

Electrical cable colors tell an electrician which core is live, which is neutral and which is earth, but South Africa has both older and newer colour schemes in use, often in the same house. This guide explains the common electrical cable colour code for single-phase and three-phase wiring. Colours are a guide only: never assume a wire is safe from its colour. For any work on fixed wiring, ElectricalCable.co.za can pass your request to a registered electrician near you, who quotes you directly. The request is free.

Live, neutral and earth wire colours

The usual live, neutral and earth wire color combinations are:

  • Newer cable and flex: brown = live (phase), blue = neutral, green/yellow = earth
  • Older installations: red = live, black = neutral, green or bare copper = earth

Surfix often has a bare earth, which must be sleeved green/yellow where it is connected. Appliance flex has used brown, blue and green/yellow for many years. Single-core house wire is sold in all of these colours, so a newer circuit pulled through conduit can follow either scheme. Switch wires and loop connections may use other colours depending on the electrician.

Three-phase colours

Factories, farms and larger homes may have a three-phase supply. Common electrical cable colours in South Africa for three-phase are:

  • Older installations: red, white (or yellow) and blue for the three phases, black for neutral
  • Newer harmonised cable: brown, black and grey for the phases, blue for neutral
  • Earth: green/yellow in both

Note that black is neutral in older wiring but a phase in newer cable, which is why mixed installations must be tested. Solar DC cable is usually red for positive and black for negative, which is separate from the AC colour code.

Why you can't rely on colour alone

Houses are often extended and repaired over decades, so electrical wire colours in South Africa are not always used consistently. A previous owner may have used whatever wire was to hand, or a switch wire may be carrying live in a black or blue core. Armoured cable cores are sometimes numbered rather than coloured. Before any work, a registered electrician isolates the supply and tests every conductor, as required under SANS 10142-1. A voltage tester or meter, not the colour of the insulation, decides whether a wire is live.

When to call an electrician

If you have found mismatched colours, scorched insulation, bare joints or a DB board that doesn't make sense, call a registered electrician. Wiring that doesn't follow a consistent electrical wire color scheme is a common reason for a failed COC inspection when a property is sold. An electrician can trace, label and correct the circuits and issue a new Certificate of Compliance. Send a few photos with your request and get a free quote.

Comparing quotes for electrical cable colour codes

The lowest price is not always the best value. When your quote arrives, check:

  • Scope: exactly which cable, size and length is allowed for, and who supplies it.
  • Civil work: trenching, sleeves, chasing and making good, and reinstating paving or lawns.
  • Terminations and testing: glands, lugs, joints, insulation and earth-loop tests.
  • Compliance: that a registered electrician issues a COC under SANS 10142-1, and the guarantee on workmanship.

What to include in your request

  • What you found (mixed colours, scorch marks, bare joints)
  • Photos of the DB board and the affected wiring
  • Single-phase or three-phase supply, if known
  • Whether you need a COC for a sale or insurance
  • Property type, age and suburb

Frequently asked questions

What colour is the live wire in South Africa?
In newer cable and flex the live (phase) is brown. In older installations it is usually red. Because both are still found, and wiring is sometimes inconsistent, only a circuit that has been isolated and tested by an electrician should be treated as safe.
Is black live or neutral?
In older single-phase wiring black is the neutral. In newer three-phase cable, black is one of the phases. This is one reason an electrician always tests conductors rather than going by colour, especially where old and new cable meet.
What colour is the earth wire?
The earth is green/yellow in newer cable and plain green or bare copper in older wiring and surfix. Bare earths should be sleeved green/yellow at every termination. A missing or loose earth is a serious fault and a common reason a COC is refused.
Can I change a light fitting if I know the colours?
Work on fixed wiring should be done by, or signed off by, a registered electrician. Colours can be misleading in older homes, and incorrect connections can leave fittings live even when the switch is off. Ask an electrician to quote for the job.

Electrical Cable Colour Codes by province

Electrical Cable Colour Codes by city

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