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.

A South African slang term for township.
Example

I come form ekasi.

Sinazo 20 July 2020
A term generally used as an informal greeting around Gauteng. Chances are no one will know how to reply to you if you use this term anywhere other than Gauteng.
Example

Sharp fede majita, dintshang da?

Sinazo 20 July 2020
Slang word for "how is it". It comes from the Afrikaans term "Hoe is dit" and people just decided to change the spelling.
Example

Man 1: Eita da, hoezit?

Man 2: Sharp hoezit da?

Man 1: Fede nja yami.

Sinazo 20 July 2020
Kasi term that refers to soccer/football.
Example

Everyone in my neighbourhood loves diski.

Sinazo 20 July 2020
A Zulu term that refers to a huge belly, mostly seen in tenderpreneurs. Sotho people can spell it as mokhaba.
Example

Stomach in, chest out. Umkhaba must fall.

Sinazo 20 July 2020
In South Africa, a tenderpreneur is a person in government or the private sector who obtains private or government tenders and contracts to facilitate outsourced services. You see them by their huge mkhaba, flashy cars and expensive clothes and alcohol.
Example

That mkhaba is not normal. It's definitely a mkhaba of a tenderpreneur.

Sinazo 20 July 2020
Sbwl is an acronym, and slang for the Xhosa language, which originated from the South African word “ sabaweli”; the meaning of the word was, “ crave, desire, yearn or to want something”.



On social media; is meant to have been created by “gay Xhosa men “ to hide their desire for a woman's man on social media.
Example

1. Sbwl a good man.

2. Sbwl a man with a lot of money

Mr Trends 19 July 2020
Sbwl is a Xhosa shorthand for “sabaweli”. Sabaweli, which in turn is a shorthand of “andisabaweli, andisayibaweli, etc.”, is built from the root word “ukubawela” which means to crave, want, desire, wish for, fancy, yearn, etc.
Example

1. Umntu wakho xa ebona mna, uthi sbwl. >> When your person sees me, s/he says sbwl.

2. Sbwl beer today.



3. Sbwl the coronavirus to just disappear.

Sinazo 19 July 2020
"A kere" or " Akere" is a commonly spoken interjection in Setswana, which often translates to "is it not?" or "isn't it" in short. It is usually placed at the end of a declarative sentence to turn it into a question.
Example

"Leina la gago ke Thabo, akere?" >> Your name is Tshepo, isn't it?

Mr Trends 19 July 2020
Fear of women, especially beautiful women.
Example

This one can't talk to women, akere he has gwababa.

Mr Trends 19 July 2020
Also known as Woolies. This is a retail store that went to a private school. You go in there with your deep Zulu accent, but come out with that private school accent.
Example

1. I speak like this because I drink Woolworths water every morning.

2. Tanqueray is the Woolworths of Gins.

DRex 19 July 2020
South African soccer team from Naturena, Soweto. It is arguably the club with the most annoying supporters in South Africa. Kaizer Chiefs fans think their team went to a private school. They think it's the Woolworths of soccer teams.
Example

You also support Kaizer Chiefs? That's why you are so annoying.

DRex 19 July 2020

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