Word of the Day [21 Feb 2026]

Ben 10

In South Africa, Ben 10 has nothing to do with cartoons. It rather refers to a young male who is dating an older female.


I was once a Ben 10 and she used to give me money for alcohol every weekend.

Yahoo boy

A guy who carries out 419 fraud on the internet (Those Nigerian prince scams).


I got scammed all my money by a Yahoo boy from Abuja.

Bari

Bari is a name given to God in Ogoni land


Barikui which means God is big


Street Kid

Street kid is a term used in South Africa to refer to homeless kids, living on the streets.


I almost a became a street kid when I lost my mother.

Botswana Pula

Currency of Botswana (BWP) issued by the Bank of Botswana. 1 Pula = 100 thebe.


Pula means "rain" in Setswana, reflecting its value in this arid country.


Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a Low Franconian West Germanic language descended from Dutch and spoken mainly in South Africa and Namibia. 


I would rather do an unprepared speech in Afrikaans that ukujola with you. 

Tsotsi

This is a general kasi term for a criminal.


He got mugged by some Tsotsi from town.


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.

Amarherheba

A South African slang term for money.


I can’t wait to get amarherheba month end.


Thandiwe

A Zulu name for a girl that means loved one or loved.
Means loved.


Ungothandiwe kakhulu .

Boda Boda

Boda bodas are bikes used as public transport in East Africa.


I got a boda boda to Ntinda




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