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.
Man 1: You left your phone in the bathroom, I left it at the reception.
Man 2: Dankie, chief.
Stop talking shit jou ma se poes
Get out of here jou ma se poes
It can also be called a kiss kiss.
He can't run because he has kiss madolo.
I need to pay the mashonisa otherwise he will keep my ID and Bank cards.
Cape Town is full of amatyotyombe
I'm moving to Gomora, I will build myself a mkhukhu.
There will be another family meeting, I hope he doesn't ban alcohol again.