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.

Add a South African word

South Africa

Ngimnandi

Refers to being good, okay or doing well/fine.

Example

- How are you? Are you okay?

- Ngimnandi

Baba Ka ThabileJr • 20 October 2021

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South Africa

Mokotjo

A Sowetan term used to identify a certain opportunistic behaviour in people. e.g. slay queens

Example

Ngwano ke mokotjo!

snack_rsa • 21 October 2021

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South Africa

isiXhosa

Umgidi

In Xhosa culture, umgidi is the ceremony that's done to celebrate a boy or boys (mkhwetha) coming back from the mountain (initiation school).

Example

I can't wait to attend umgidi ka Boy

MXhosa • 23 October 2021

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South Africa

Sharist

Sharists are those people who spend their time on Facebook just sharing posts. They are usually single, hence all the free time to bore us with their useless posts.

Example

Ever since they dumped her, she's been a big sharist on Facebook.

DRex • 29 October 2021

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South Africa

Iyeza

Iyeza is anything and everything that heals.

Example

Ina iyeza, sela iyeza.

MXhosa • 30 October 2021

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South Africa

isiXhosa

Rha

Pronounced (ggggaaah); this is a Xhosa term for ‘ew’. It has many uses, for instance when something disgusts you or when someone says you and someone would look good together then you say ‘rha’.

Synonym; sies

Example

*sees something very disgusting*

Me: Rha

Yongama • 30 October 2021

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