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.

Res

Res is a shortened name for a University or college residence.
Example

I have applied for res because I am tired of staying at home.

Bafo 01 May 2021
A very offensive word that is used to refer to a foreigner.

Same as kwerekwere.
Example

Stop calling our brothers and sisters amagweja!

Bafo 01 May 2021
The 750ml or 660ml beer or cider (quart).

Can also be called Ngud (without the last u)
Example

Yabona ng'zomosha kakhulu

Ng'zoshay'iNgud

Skhokho 01 May 2021
A term used to refer to a bribe, usually given to cops or traffic officers.
Example

I gave him some tjotjo and he let me go.

Skhokho 01 May 2021
A term that is used to refer to a very old car.
Example

Push iskorokoro.

Skhokho 01 May 2021
A slang term that means a white person.
Example

That guy is always chilling with a ngamla.

Skhokho 01 May 2021
A Sotho term that means a white person.
Example

Ke tshwere stocko sa lekgowa.

Skhokho 01 May 2021
A Xhosa or Zulu term for a white person.
Example

My best friend is umlungu.

Skhokho 01 May 2021
Also known as SOS - Is a South African rapper who the current king of South African rap. He released his diss track called Ninyile that was dissing the whole SA Hip Hop industry and all these cats have been awfully quiet ever since.
Example

Big Xhosa dissed the whole industry except Big Zulu.

Danny 02 May 2021
A term used to refer to the South African Tactical Response Team.

Those cops that wear berets and moer people.
Example

He was moered by amaberete, that's why he is behaving now.

Danny 04 May 2021
It's apparently a new skrr skrr way of saying dankie - which means thank you.
Example

Danko guys for coming to my party

Danny 04 May 2021
A skrr skrr kid who is the president of ama2000 in South Africa.
Example

Uncle Vinny's birthday party was massive.

Danny 04 May 2021

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