South Africa Slang Dictionary

South African slang is a rich, multilingual mix that borrows freely from the country's eleven official languages - isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sesotho and more - plus street languages like tsotsitaal and Sepitori. It's the language of the townships, the taxi rank, kwaito and amapiano, and everyday Mzansi life from Joburg to Cape Town to Durban. Words like eish, howzit, lekker, sharp sharp and yebo are woven into how South Africans speak every day. Explore the community-built dictionary of South African slang below - and add the words you know.

Sort of point expanding using only a word "type shii" works perfectly when explaining something
Example

For stoners ( we all how it feels to get the "munchies" after a good blaze type shii

Theguynextdoor • 20 October 2024
The word 'robot' when used in the context of driving means Traffic light.
Example

"The robot is red..."

Itu • 13 October 2024
Naai means to fuck.
Example

Hy het die meisie se hart gesteel, maar sy het gesΓͺ sy wil nie met hom naai nie.

zedo • 29 September 2024
Go home!!
Example

Go home now it's getting late.

Goduka ngoku kuyarhatyela

Avile Bantwini • 24 July 2024
A person with a pure soul and a golden heart ❀️
Example

She went to umfana today, she is not coming back.

Siya • 19 July 2024
Letleke refers to a nice, good looking girl
Example

Eh jioh die blah o tshwere letleke leleng ale kgonagale

Dee 69 • 16 July 2024
A snake in human form,could also be define as devil herself.
Example

Umuntu wesifaza utsandza imali.

samkelo • 14 July 2024
Another level
Example

"Do you know where I'm qwelling?"

Tinevimbo • 26 June 2024
Venda or Tshivenda is a Bantu language and an official language of South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is mainly spoken by the Venda people or Vhaven?a in the northern part of South Africa's Limpopo province, as well as by some Lemba people in South Africa.
Example

MacG is Venda, by the way.

LinguistZA • 26 June 2024
Fororo is the ass crack, especially the one that shows when the pants are falling.
Example

When I saw my mechanic’s for, I knew he was the right one for the job.

Zama • 25 June 2024
Mampara week is the week before payday, where everyone just doesn’t have money.
Example

Friend: Let’s go out.

Me: I can’t, you know it’s Mampara Week.

Zama • 21 June 2024
The Free State, formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital.
Example

The Free State is in the middle of the country.

Maps • 14 June 2024

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