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.
We are out of beer... mswapheni
We are out of meat... mswapheni
A female version of a blesser
I really need a new sugar mama who's gonna pay my rent.
Sure grootman, zkhiphani.
Ayicatchi idyan. A dyan doesn't catch feelings.
You are mad, golo.
Mogwanti wa Pitori.
I got rejected at Tuks so I will apply at TUT.
Did you see what TUT students were doing to the cops during the protest?
Rhodes is notorious for its heavy-drinking scene. Thus, being a Rhodent is also synonymous with drinking heavily.
Rhodents were overdrinking everyone at that party last night.
Yoh dawg, I partied to hard last night that I missed my dawnie.
No one:
UCT student: So back in UCT, blah blah blah.
No one:
Wits student: Wits is better than UCT but this is a conversation y'all are not ready for.