Word of the Day [30 Dec 2025]

Edenvale

Edenvale is a small city on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa. It lies about halfway between the O.R. Tambo International Airport and the Johannesburg city centre.


I grew up in Edenvale

South Ah

Another slang term for South Africa, mostly used in Social Media.


Twitter post caption: It can only be South Ah

Backroom

A backroom is a room in a yard that's usually at the back of the main house. It is mostly used for rental purposes.


I'm renting a backroom in Tembisa.


Mnqundu

Umnqundu is a Xhosa swear word that you don't want to randomly say.


Mqundu wakho kwedini.

Marrakesh

Red City known for souks, palaces, and the bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square.


Marrakesh's Bahia Palace showcases exquisite Moroccan craftsmanship.


Afrikaans

South African language, developed out of the Dutch spoken in the country since the first Dutch East India Company settlement in the Cape, established in 1652. Afrikaans was considered a dialect of Dutch – known as “Cape Dutch” – until recognised as a language in the late 19th century. From the Dutch for “African”.


They forced us to do Afrikaans in high school.

Chakla

To destroy, to leave in disorder or to mess up


The how y’all now chakla this room, when I bop my eyes, that how it muh be clean.


Lekker

An Afrikaans word that has multiple meanings and which can be used in various contexts to describe many things from people to food to inanimate objects. It is used to convey the meaning of great, delicious, nice or fun. Make sure to roll the ‘r’ when pronouncing the word.


That new movie is lekker!

That bunny chow was lekker!

I’m lekker, bru!

O-week

AKA Orientation week or 0-week, Is the first week of University where students are supposed to be orientated but they spend it binge drinking and making bad decisions.


I will never forget how awesome O-week was this year.


Ngimnandi

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


- How are you? Are you okay?
- Ngimnandi

Isjumbane

Isjumbane is a weapon used in prison to beat a person up. It is a snooker (pool) ball put inside a sock or a metal cup hooked in a belt.


They broke his teeth when they were beating him up with a sjumbane.




© 2020 Africtionary®