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.

Magriza is a slang term for grandmother.
Example

I was raised by magriza.

Skhokho • 09 May 2021
The colloquial term used by us South Africans to refer to our country. It is the Xhosa word for the "South" part in South Africa. The full word is Mzantsi Africa. "South Africa".
Example

I stay in Mzantsi and proud of it.

Sinazo • 08 May 2021
Ingcibi is a Xhosa traditional surgeon who performs circumcisions on young males during initiation.
Example

His grandfather is ingcibi of the village.

Sinazo • 08 May 2021
A Xhosa term for come here.
The original term is "Yiza apha" or "Yizapha" but social media people have further shortened it.
Example

No one:

Big Xhosa: A Reece izapha baby girl.

Chief • 07 May 2021
Is a very strong person, a bosso in other words.
Example

That man is a gabhadiya.

DRex • 07 May 2021
A Zulu term for an assassin or hitman (a person hired to kill another person or a group of people), very popular in the KwaZulu Natal province.
Example

They hired inkabi to kill him but he survived.

DRex • 06 May 2021
An idiot; a stupid or silly person. The Sunday Times newspaper shames wrongdoers in public life with its Mampara of the Week award.
Example

Kaizer Chiefs fans are Mamparas.

DRex • 05 May 2021
South African potato-like tuber (Colocasia esculenta and Colocasia antiquorum), cultivated mostly in KwaZulu-Natal, greyish in colour and rather tasty. From the isiZulu amadumbe .
Example

When I go to KZN, I have to get myself amadumbe.

DRex • 05 May 2021
Music of South Africa’s urban black youth, which first emerged in the 1990s. Kwaito is a mixture of South African disco, hip hop, R&B, ragga, and a heavy dose of house music beats.
Example

Hip Hop has taken over now, Kwaito is no longer the same.

DRex • 05 May 2021
A spicy relish of Indian origin, much like a mix between chutney and a pickle and usually made from green mangoes.
Example

I eat everything with atchar 🀞🏽

Varsity Dude • 05 May 2021
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 β€œCape Dutch” – until recognised as a language in the late 19th century. From the Dutch for β€œAfrican”.
Example

They forced us to do Afrikaans in high school.

Sinazo • 05 May 2021
A young Xhosa man being initiated into manhood at initiation school.

Plural is abakhwetha.
Example

He is scarce on facebook because ngumkhwetha.

Sinazo • 05 May 2021

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