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.

Kwaal is a slang term that means a problem or a conflict.
Example

Why does he have kwaal with him?

Chief 11 May 2022
Intshebe is a Nguni term for beard.
Example

Intshebe yam iyakhula.

My beard is growing.

MXhosa 15 May 2022
Tsotsi language. Generally means a mistake or nonsense. Can be pronounced as "flop" or "flopo"
Example

Eish ke editse flopo


I made a mistake

Olebogeng 17 May 2022
Igoni is a kasi slang term for a knife.
Example

The guys who robbed me was carrying igoni

DRex 19 May 2022
A Facebook Celebrity!

A feleb is a person who is famous on Facebook but not really famous in real life.
Example

That one is only a feleb, nothing much.

Skhokho 20 May 2022
Jiki jiki means all of a sudden or suddenly.
Example

When we were growing you were dark, jiki jiki you are a yellow bone.

Skhokho 26 May 2022
Igwijo or amagwijo are Xhosa songs that are usually sung in events such as sporting events or traditional events. They are sometimes made up on the spot.
Example

I'm only going to that game for amagwijo.

MXhosa 29 May 2022
Isithembu is the practice of marrying multiple wives (Polygamy).
Example

Isithembu is becoming popular again in South Africa.

MXhosa 30 May 2022
Sisekakeni is a general Xhosa phrase that means we are in trouble. It directly translates to "we are in shit" or "we are in deep shit"
Example

Friend: The petrol prices went up again.

Me: Sisekakeni

MXhosa 02 June 2022
When a group of Maskandi Artists chants to see their King of Kings (Isilo) in the Maskandi genre. The current King of Kings is Dr Khangelani "DSD" “uGqoko” Mhlongo.
Example

Ziyahlaba izinsizwa “LUPHI UGQOKO” lwethu

Maskandi King 05 June 2022
Is a language created by dutch people, although in dutch translates to african it is not of that origin.
Example

I just learned to speak afrikaans.

Mike 08 June 2022
Word used to express disbelief, surprise, dissatisfaction
Example

Bathong...he really ate all those chilli's

Pooler 09 June 2022

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