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.
Grandma had to send the kids back to their mothers because ikati ilele eziko.
*My child misbehaves*
Me: If you don't behave, I will call the tikoloshe to beat you.
The only thing I want now yi gawula.
Idanyane can cause you to do things you never thought you'd do.
They broke his teeth when they were beating him up with a sjumbane.