Mampara

An idiot; a stupid or silly person. The Sunday Times newspaper shames wrongdoers in public life with its Mampara of the Week award.


Kaizer Chiefs fans are Mamparas.



Nkunzi

Nkunzi is a Xhosa term for a male animal. It is also often used to refer to a person, obviously male.


Ndifuna ukuthetha inkunzi yebhokhwe.

I want to buy a male goat.



Mamzo

Mamzo is a kasi slang term for mom or mother.


Eish sorry mamzo, I won’t do it again.



Bakkie

In South Africa, a bakkie refers to a pick-up truck.


I need to get myself a bakkie for when I go to the villages.



Imali

Money


Ngifuna imali



Libya

A North African country with oil wealth, Mediterranean coastline, and recent political turmoil.


Ancient Leptis Magna in Libya contains some of the best-preserved Roman ruins.



Dubane

Dubane is a slang term for the City of Durban. Used predominantly by the Zulu speaking population of KwaZulu Natal.


Hamb' obuza ngami in Dubane they know.



Ikati ilele eziko

This is a Xhosa figure of speech that describes hunger or poverty. It directly translate to "a cat is sleeping in the fire (cooking) place (or stove if you may say)". So the cat is sleeping where people are supposed to be cooking because there's no fire and no food to cook.


Grandma had to send the kids back to their mothers because ikati ilele eziko.



Halala

An exclamation used to congratulate someone, honour or praise someone or something, or to express joy or celebration; ‘Bravo!’, ‘Hooray!’.


Halala, siyakubongela sisi.



Rra madumbu

It's a SePitori word used to refer to garbage collectors.


It's Wednesday today, bo rra madumbu ba tla.




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