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.

Igoni is a kasi slang term for a knife.
Example

The guys who robbed me was carrying igoni

DRex 19 May 2022
Tsotsi language. Generally means a mistake or nonsense. Can be pronounced as "flop" or "flopo"
Example

Eish ke editse flopo


I made a mistake

Olebogeng 17 May 2022
Intshebe is a Nguni term for beard.
Example

Intshebe yam iyakhula.

My beard is growing.

MXhosa 15 May 2022
Kwaal is a slang term that means a problem or a conflict.
Example

Why does he have kwaal with him?

Chief 11 May 2022

NMU

NMU (formerly known as NMMU) is Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. It is the University you go to when you get rejected at Rhodes.
Example

What does a Rhodes student and an NMU student have in common?

They both applied at Rhodes!

Varsity Dude 10 May 2022
Johannesburg also known informally as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa. The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm
Example

My friends from Johannesburg don't know anything about struggle.

MXhosa 10 May 2022
South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent.
Example

I was born and bred in South Africa.

MXhosa 10 May 2022
Itoti is a general term for a can or tin. It can be a can of beer, food or whatever, as long as it's a can you can call it itoti.
Example

I stopped drinking ngud, I only drink itoti now.

MXhosa 05 May 2022
It is a word mostly used by Afrikaans speaking people that means friend or brother, depending on the context.
Example

Listen here, boet. I will moer you.

Sinazo 05 May 2022
Is a general term used to refer to "around people" or ween there are people present.
Example

Imagine, they were busy kissing during the people.

CG 04 May 2022
A tswape is a South African term for a massive wedgy (when your underwear is stuck between your butt cheeks).
Example

I had a tswepe during the people and I was so embarrassed to remove it.

CG 04 May 2022
The Sepitori version of Tsotsi

This means skinny guy with Nike hat, Skinny jeans and a black Allstar
Example

Sheba le pharra leli

(Look at that thug)

Thabiso Maoko 04 May 2022

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