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.

South Africa

Afrikaner

Afrikaners are a South African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries
Example

Contrary to popular belief, Afrikaners are also Africans.

Gert • 04 November 2022
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South Africa

Boer maak 'n plan

It literally means a farmer makes a plan.

It’s testament to the fact that the Afrikaner will figure stuff out. If there’s a problem, he’ll find a workaround. If something is scarce, he’ll find a substitute.
Example

These power cuts are annoying but 'n Boer maak 'n plan.

Gert • 04 November 2022
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South Africa

Isichitho

isichitho is curse or spell that is made by people using a muthi to make a divisions in a relationship, sometimes families, by making a victim unattractive and annoying.
Example

They tried to use isichitho to make my boyfriend dump me.

Sinazo • 04 November 2022
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South Africa

Mdavazo

A slang term for sex or tlof tlof.
Example

Why do guys fall asleep immediately after umdavazo?

Danny • 04 November 2022
0 0
South Africa

Glamour Boys

Glamour Boys is another nickname for the South African soccer team Kaizer Chiefs.
Example

The Glamour Boys will beat Masandawana.

DRex • 04 November 2022
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South Africa

Bottle Kop

A bottle kop is a broken glass bottleneck that is used to smoke weed like a pipe.
Example

I'm tired of this rolled weed, let's use a bottle kop.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
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South Africa

Coloureds

Coloured, formerly Cape Coloured, a person of mixed European (“white”) and African (“black”) or Asian ancestry, as officially defined by the South African government from 1950 to 1991.
Example

Coloureds are mostly found in Cape Town but can be found all over South Africa.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
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South Africa

Township

In South Africa, the terms township and location usually refer to the often underdeveloped, racially segregated urban areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of apartheid, were reserved for non-whites, namely Black Africans, Coloureds and Indians.
Example

Each and every township in South Africa is almost the same.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
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South Africa

Cape Flats

The term Cape Flats refers to a flat, sandy stretch of land which is located on the outskirts of the city of Cape Town. It has been accurately described as the "dumping ground of apartheid" and it is here that people of colour (non-whites in "old South Africa" language) were relocated to in terms of the infamous Group Areas Act.
Example

I am from the Cape Flats where we hear gunshots every night.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
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South Africa

Afrikaaps

Afrikaaps is a slang version of Afrikaans, spoken in Cape Town.
Example

I proudly speak Afrikaaps.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
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South Africa

Kaaps

Kaaps or Afrikaaps is an Afrikaans dialect that is mainly spoken in the Cape Flats in Cape Town.
Example

I thought I knew Afrikaans until I went to the Cape Flats and heard what they call Kaaps/Afrikaaps.

LinguistZA • 03 November 2022
0 0
South Africa

Ijaja

Ijaja is a widely used South African slang term to refer to God.
Example

I don't care what you say, ijaja is my witness.

MXhosa • 03 November 2022
0 0

More than 1,400 words... defined by people like you and me!

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