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.

Intusi sisithetha-ntonye sobisi. Intusi is Milk in isiXhosa dialect.
Example

Intusi yesizwe isengwa ezinkomeni zelali.

Khingh 21 September 2025
Xhosa term for sleeping over at a boyfriend/girlfriend's place.
Example

Umntu wakhe uthe makatake iweekend yonke.



Her partner asked her to sleep over for the whole weekend.

Tshidi (Not Matshidiso) 20 September 2025
Township meaning for slang whose direct translation means 'gangster language' 'taal' being the Afrikaans word for language. A huge contribution to this type of slang stem from South African prisons.
Example

He came back from Pollsmoor speaking Tsotsi taal.

Tshidi (Not Matshidiso) 18 September 2025
Lord Kambala Day in South African football circles refers to September 5, 2020, a day etched in PSL (Premier Soccer League) history when Manuel 'Lord’ Kambala, playing for Baroka FC, scored a crucial equalizer against Kaizer Chiefs. That goal denied Chiefs the league title on the final day of the 2019/20 season, handing the championship to Mamelodi Sundowns instead. This singular moment earned Kambala the nickname "Lord Kambala" and immortalized his contribution to South African football lore.
Example

Happy Lord Kambala Day, everyone 🎉

Masiya 06 September 2025
cash, stash , dough, (relation to money in general.)
Serendipitously the word is a title of the song that shook the whole mzansi, nation as a whole, it was in every corner one would turn.
Example

ntwana ako sike gumba dar, lend me some cash nyana.

Siba da Ntsizwa (GI) 24 August 2025
Deragatory slang which means to have sexual intercourse, bang .
Example

my Gee, Tommorow my chick will be visiting me, I can't wait to Ashkarine The Banganoy.

Siba da Ntsizwa (GI) 24 August 2025
Inyhori is a Xhosa slang term that’s used to refer to someone with one eye.
Example

They stabbed him in the eye, now yinyhori.

Pronunciation
by MXhosa
MXhosa 16 August 2025
Ayeye In some Southern African languages (e.g., Xhosa), it can mean "you're in trouble".
Example

Ayeye! The game is about to start!

tammy 11 August 2025
A South African slang term to calm down or relax.
Example

I will be chillaxing by the beach all day today.

Siya 10 August 2025
Izinganekwane izingxoxo ezazixoxwa ogogo/omama/omkhulu Kanye nobaba.Zaxoxelwa abantwana ngesikhathi sakudala.
Example

Umama uxoxela izingane zakhe inganekwane.

Pronunciation
by Siyanda Ndima
Siyanda Ndima 10 August 2025

031

031 is the dialling code for Durban. It can also be used to refer to Durban.
Example

I rep 031 till the day I die.

Zama 10 August 2025

011

011 is the Johannesburg dialling code. It can also used to refer to Johannesburg.
Example

I rep 011 till I die!

Zama 10 August 2025

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