Ngxe

Pardon me. Particularly in an official and formal setting e.g. in a meeting or when asking for forgiveness from the elderly.


"Ngxe, bantakwethu." - Pardon me, my kin.



Tenderpreneur

In South Africa, a tenderpreneur is a person in government or the private sector who obtains private or government tenders and contracts to facilitate outsourced services. You see them by their huge mkhaba, flashy cars and expensive clothes and alcohol.


That mkhaba is not normal. It's definitely a mkhaba of a tenderpreneur.



amatile-tile

Xhosa plural for stratagems. It is actually just amatile. Singular is itile. The ti is pronounced like English tea and le as in French. From the Sanskrit kutila which appear in Xhosa as ukutila.


My car broke down on the way, I had to make amatile-tile to get here.



Nka screama gore

A popular Tswana/Sotho phrase on social media that means "I would scream". It's used as an expression when something shocking happens.


Imagine if ISIS would come to South Africa. Yhuu nka screama gore.



Pulling a UNISA

When university students don't attend lectures and just submit their assignments, write tests and exams (Like UNISA students.


Yoh dawg, I don't remember the last time I attended a lecture. I've been pulling a UNISA this semester.



Goduka

Go home!!


Go home now it's getting late.

Goduka ngoku kuyarhatyela



Ntshiza

intshiza is a Xhosa slang term for a gun. 


I had to give them my phone, one of them ebephethe intshiza. 



Nkandla

Nkandla is a town in the uThungulu district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the district where former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma is from.


I want to visit Nkandla this December.



Umthondo

Offensive. Refers to a penis


She just wants umthondo wami



Akere

"A kere" or " Akere" is a commonly spoken interjection in Setswana, which often translates to "is it not?" or "isn't it" in short. It is usually placed at the end of a declarative sentence to turn it into a question.


"Leina la gago ke Thabo, akere?" >> Your name is Tshepo, isn't it?




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