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.

Jiki jiki means all of a sudden or suddenly.
Example

When we were growing you were dark, jiki jiki you are a yellow bone.

Skhokho • 26 May 2022
A Facebook Celebrity!

A feleb is a person who is famous on Facebook but not really famous in real life.
Example

That one is only a feleb, nothing much.

Skhokho • 20 May 2022
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

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

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