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.

Add a South African word

South Africa

Masandawana

A endearing term for the The best football club in Africa Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

Example

Yoh MaSandawana game gang. They smoked Al Ahly 5-2 last week ko Atteridgeville!

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

Che

Give me or pass me. It is a substitute for the word skyf. Pronounced as “Chair”

Example

Che me the phone Broer, I wanna call someone to bring us Pipe.

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

Skyf

South African slang term for “Please give/pass me”, pronounced as Sk-ey-f.

You don’t use an article (a, an or the) after the word. You just place the subject(what you want) directly after.

Example

Please skyf pipe there. I wanna smoke quick.

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

Pipe

South African

slang commonly used in a Hip-Hop context for Hookah Pipe or “Hubbly-Bubbly”

Example

Hade Broer, can you skyf pipe there?

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

Broer

South African slang word for brother, directly derived from the Afrikaans language

Example

You peep that broer over there? He makes nca music!

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

Al Ahly

A team that got beaten 5 - 2 by Sundowns (the best football team in Africa)

Example

Don’t worry about that team. It’s an Al Ahly.

Big Saint • 17 March 2023

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South Africa

isiXhosa

Isidubada

Isidubada is an informal Xhosa dialect where you add a “d” after every sound. For example “Molweni” would be “modolwedenidi”.

Example

Zikhona Sodlaka spoke isidubada in an episode of Gqeberha the Empire.

MXhosa • 15 March 2023

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South Africa

Fean

Fean Someone who craves and/or is obsessed to something that is healthy, good or clean. A clean addiction.

Example

- That dude is really well built... he must be a workout Fean!

- That fisherman eats, sleeps and breaths all things fishing.. he must be a Fishing Fean!

AndieD • 14 March 2023

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South Africa