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.

The feeling of wanting to explain something and not finding the right term to do that,
Example

Eish "Alostro" mfowethu (unexplainable)

Lucas N 03 May 2022

Kho

When You blow your MT4/MT5 account, the only sound you get to hear is "kho"
Example

Life ke "kho"

Meaning life can also be viewed as a huge loss when things aren't going well

Lucas N 03 May 2022
A backroom is a room in a yard that's usually at the back of the main house. It is mostly used for rental purposes.
Example

I'm renting a backroom in Tembisa.

Skhokho 03 May 2022
Is a term used in South Africa to refer to a situation where two people who are not married are living together.
Example

Those ones will never get married. They've been doing vat n sit for more than 5 years.

Skhokho 03 May 2022
Waya waya is a widely used term in South Africa that means "all the time".
Example

He's always telling lies waya waya.

Skhokho 03 May 2022
An informal term mostly used by Xhosa people to refer to beer.
Example

Sbwl iWash namhlanje.
I am craving beer today.

MXhosa 02 May 2022
Die poppie sal dans is a popular South African term that means there will be trouble or havoc.
The direct translation from Afrikaans is: The dolls will dance
Example

Mom told them to take out the meat from the freezer in the morning and they forgot. Die poppie sal dans when she comes back from church.

Mr Trends 01 May 2022
Orlando Pirates AKA Bhakaniya is a South African soccer club that plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as Premier Soccer League.
Example

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are the biggest rivals in the continent of Africa.

MXhosa 01 May 2022
This is the Orlando Pirates football club from Soweto, South Africa. A person who is a fan of Pirates can also be referred to as Bhakaniya.
Example

Bhakaniya has not won the league in a while now.

MXhosa 01 May 2022
A meal that is generally cooked on Sundays in many households across Mzansi.

It is coined as 7 colours because it comprises a lot of colourful ingredients; a mix of vegetables, starch and meat that make up various colours.
Example

I went home last weekend and my highlight was the 7 colours oledi cooked.

MXhosa 01 May 2022
meaning shit that comes out of your anus (ndunu)
Example

have uyishlama wena.(you are shit)

siyaphuma ishlama lapho.(is the shit coming out there)

anonymous 25 April 2022
It's a Zulu word that describes your are going through a lot or bad things are about to happen to you
Example

Ziyakhala ke manje

Thiizo Phumlanii Hlalu 25 April 2022

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