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.

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
Edenvale is a small city on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa. It lies about halfway between the O.R. Tambo International Airport and the Johannesburg city centre.
Example

I grew up in Edenvale

Maps 14 June 2024
The East Rand is a major urban area located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It includes the towns of Bedfordview, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Edenvale, Germiston, Kempton Park, Linksfield and Modderfontein.
Example

I grew up in the East Rand.

Maps 14 June 2024

© 2020 Africtionary®