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.
Ndipeyile namhlanje, I should get unongogo.
I got paid today, I should get a whore.
Sure Grootie, nice seeing you again.
Ndifuna imazi yegusha.
I want a female sheep.
No one:
Passenger in a taxi: After robot, driver.
I need to buy that GALXBOY skipa very soon.
He speaks like that because he is dating ikula.
Usisi wam nguNongendi.
My sister is a nun.
Jou poepholl!
Translation: you asshole
Daai Steve is OK maar 'n fokkerkie
Translation: that guy Steve is a real small fuck
Me: Gombo means "a newly developed area. It is the name given by the Xhosas to the City of East London after its foundation in 1836"
You: That is gibberish.
Me: uyarhubha.