Thanks to the variety of languages spoken in South Africa, locals tend to borrow words from each language, resulting in slang words or phrases known as ‘South Africanisms’. If you’re visiting South Africa any time soon, it’s useful to know a few turns of phrase to help you along the way.
Drawing from 11 official languages - with English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans - being the most dominant, South Africa's slang reflects the country's diversity, history and the rapid socio-political change the nation has experienced since 1994. Here's how to make yourself understood when you visit.
This list of "Afrikanerisms" comprises slang words and phrases influenced by Afrikaans and other African languages. Typical users include people with Afrikaans as their first language but who speak English as a second language; and people living in areas where the population speaks both English and Afrikaans.
Let's dive into some common South African slang terms:
Common Slang Terms
- Ag: A filler word to express irritation or resignation. Eg. ‘Ag, no man!’, or ‘Ag, let’s go.’
- Aweh/Awe: Said in excitement, with many meanings or uses: "hello", "goodbye", "yes". Also associated with prison use. (Greeting) "Aweh my bru" (Hello my friend).
- Babbelas: Hangover - usually rather a bad one. From the isiZulu word for hangover isibhabhalazi. "Hello, hello. Great party last night. How's your head? Are you a bit babbelas?"
- Bakkie: A utility truck, pick-up truck, now a mainstream word in South African English.
- Befok: Really good, exciting, cool; as in "The rock-show was befok." Can also mean "crazy" in a very strong sense, as in "Are you befok?"
- Biltong: A favorite South African snack made from dried and salted meat, similar to beef jerky.
- Bioscope/Bio: Cinema, movie theatre, originally a international English word that became defunct elsewhere, it has survived longer in South Africa as a result of the influence of the Afrikaans cognate bioskoop.
- Bliksem: Strike, hit, punch; also used as an expression of surprise/emphasis (rude; many consider the word a profanity).
- Boerewors: An Afrikaans term for ‘farmer’s sausage’ - a traditional South African meat often enjoyed at a braai.
- Bra/Bru/Boet: Brother/friend. Similar to 'bro' but cooler. Bru stems from the Afrikaans for brother, broer. Nothing to do with underwear at all, but an informal term for "my friend" or "mate", deriving from "brother". 'He's my bra but that team he supports is rubbish."
- Braai: An outdoor ‘barbecue’ where meat is cooked over a fire or coals. A popular social event in South Africa and even has its own dedicated public holiday, known as National Braai Day, which coincides with Heritage Day celebrated annually on September 24.
- Chips! Chips!: Nothing you'll find in the kebab shop around the corner but an expression of alarm or warning. "Chips! Chips! He's off-side"
- Diski: Football in township slang. "I love diski. I watch as many games as I can."
- Dop: Slang for an alcoholic drink. It can also mean ‘to fail an exam’. For example, ‘Pour me a dop,’ or ‘I’m gonna dop that test’.
- Dwaal: To not be paying attention, or for one's mind to wander. Derives from the Afrikaans meaning "to wander". "I got lost in Moses Mabhida Stadium; I was in such a dwaal I didn't look at the signs."
- Eina!: Meaning "Ouch!" Used when expressing immediate pain or sympathizing with someone else who is experiencing pain or got hurt in some way.
- Eish: A colloquial exclamation of surprise, disapproval, exasperation or regret derived from Xhosa. An isiZulu and isiXhosa expression good for everything from resignation, to exasperation, to pleasant surprise. "Eish! I can't believe they're playing so badly," or, "Eish! That goal was incredible. Think this could be our year."
- Fundi: An expert or knowledgeable person, from the isiZulu and isiXhosa word for teacher, umfundisi. "Eh? You're bit of a fundi on the stats then, aren't you?"
- Gatvol: Fed up and irritated. Literally meaning in Afrikaans "hole full". Pronounce the "g" as the Scottish "ch" in loch. "We've been here for hours and this queue isn't going anywhere. I'm gatvol."
- Gogga: Any insect or creepy crawly. Pronounce the "g" as the Scottish "ch" in loch. "Did you see that gogga in the hotel room the morning? It was walking away with my shoes."
- Hayibo: Expression of disbelief or irritation. "Hayibo! Ferdinand? Captain?"
- Howzit?: Common informal greeting that is a contraction of "how is it?'" More of a greeting than a specific enquiry. "Hey! Howzit man?
- Indaba: A conference or expo, from the Zulu word for ‘a matter for discussion’.
- Is it?: An expression frequently used in conversation meaning ‘Is that so?’ or ‘Really?’. An exclamation of surprise, similar in meaning to "is that so?". "Isit? Really? I didn't know Beckham's first match for England was against Moldova."
- Jawelnofine: Means anything from "yes" to "ok, yes, but I think you're being an idiot". "Jawelnofine. Stay out until 4am tonight but remember we're flying to Port Elizabeth at 8am tomorrow."
- Jol: Meaning to go partying, clubbing or to just have fun in general. A widely-used term for ‘club’, ‘party’ or to ‘have fun’. From the Afrikaans meaning "to party" or "to have a good time". "C'mon bru, we're going jolling tonight."
- Just Now: You’ll often hear South Africans mention that they will do something ‘just now’. This does not mean they’ll do it immediately, but rather a bit later.
- Kak: Crap, rubbish, nonsense (profanity), of very wide usage. Not Lekker (see Lekker).
- Kief: Cool, great, awesome or neat.
- Koeksister: Confectionary similar to Indian gulab jamun made of plaited, risen dough deep-fried and dipped into ice-cold sugar syrup.
- Laduma!: He scores! Shouted at every goal and originates from the isiZulu for "it thunders". "It's in! It's in! Laduma!"
- Lekker: A widely used term indicating that something is ‘great’ or ‘nice’. From the Afrikaans meaning great or good - an expression of approval. "Lekker man. You have a jersey signed by Steven Pienaar? Very cool."
- Mal: Crazy or mad in Afrikaans.
- Makarapa: Highly decorated headgear worn by football fans - fashioned out of hard hats and customised to match team colours.
- Mampara: Fool or idiot, suspected to be Sotho in origin. "Hey, Rooney! Stop behaving like such a mampara."
- Muti: Medicine, from the isiZulu muthi. "I need to get some headache muti; I'm seriously babbelas."
- "Now": The phrases "now", "now now", "just now" and "right now" all mean different things in terms of immediacy and differs from person to person.
- Now-now: Reference to something that will happen soon, usually within a few minutes but also within in a couple of hours. "We need a goal and it's coming now-now. "
- Oke/Ou: Bloke or guy, from Afrikaans. "I couldn't see that penalty; that oke in front of us was standing up."
- Pasop: Watch out. "Pasop! Carry on and you'll get a red card."
- Quagga: An extinct species of zebra (Equus quagga) that once habituated the Cape but was hunted out in the 1800s. Pronounce the Afrikaans "g" as you would "ch" in loch. "Bafana-Bafana? Win the World Cup? You're seeing quaggas, mate."
- Robot: Traffic light. "There are hawkers selling great caps near the robot."
- Shame: A typical South African expression for sympathy or admiration. Eg. ‘Ag, shame man, poor girl!’ ‘Shame, he’s so cute.’
- Sharp: Often doubled up for effect (sharp sharp!) and means ‘goodbye’ or that everything is great.
- Shebeen: An illegal tavern derived from Irish (sibín). It refers to unlicensed bars that were set up in townships during apartheid and frequented mainly by black South Africans.
- Shibobo: To nutmeg an opponent and make a fool out of them. "Heh! Look at that shibobo."
- Sho’t Left: Derived from everyday South African ‘taxi lingo’. A commuter wanting a ride to a destination close by will say ‘Sho’t left, driver,’ meaning ‘I want to get off just around the corner.’
- Skinner: Afrikaans slang for gossip. Eg. ‘Don’t skinner about me.’
- Skollie/Skelm/Skabenga: Criminals or people up to no good. "Did that skollie pinch your wallet?' or "What a skabenga - he's headbutted him." "Bunch of skelms!"
- Slap chips: Slap chips [slup chips] is a slang phrase for deep-fried potato chips sold at takeaway seafood shops, grocery stores and restaurants.
- Stompie: A cigarette butt.... please keep these off the desert floor!
- Tekkies: Trainers. "Hold on, I'll just grab my tekkies."
- Ubuntu: Southern African philosophy with the central tenet that a person is a person because of other people - no man is an island. Ubuntu was central to the post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. From the isiZulu word for goodness. "I gave away my tickets in the spirit of ubuntu."
- Voetsek!: Usually said with an angry tone when telling someone to go away or get lost.
- Vuvuzela: A long, plastic horn blown loudly at every football match in South Africa and thought to have been modelled on an antelope horn. No self-respecting football fan should be without one.
- Wena: You, from isiZulu. "Hey wena. Would like a beer?"
- Wors: Traditional Afrikaans sausage now eaten by everyone. Flavoured with spices such as coriander and chilli, the full name is boerewors, which translates directly as farmers' sausage.
- Xhosa: South African tribe dominant in the Eastern Cape province. The letter "x" is pronounced with a click emanating from the sides of the mouth, as if you were clicking at a horse. "My friend Lusanda is Xhosa; she speaks isiXhosa."
- Yebo: Means "Yes" in Zulu. "Yebo - I've got the match tickets in my pocket, don't worry."
Here's a quick reference table for some of the slang terms:
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| Slang Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ag | Expression of irritation |
| Aweh | Hello, goodbye, yes |
| Bra/Bru/Boet | Friend, brother |
| Braai | Barbecue |
| Eina | Ouch |
| Eish | Expression of surprise or exasperation |
| Jol | Party, have fun |
| Lekker | Great, nice |
| Yebo | Yes |
With 11 different languages being spoken throughout South Africa, having a translation guide on hand will not only make it easier to understand what you’re hearing, but will also make mingling with the locals a lot more fun.
Example: “Aikona, why did she do that?!” / “Haikona, when?!
Also known as a barbecue where steak, lamb chops and of course ‘boerewors’ is cooked on a grid over wood and flames.
This is a traditional South African Indian dish and usually consists of curry served in a hollowed-out half-loaf of unsliced white bread.
Example: “Ag! You domkop!
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Eina! Eish! Hayibo!
Example: “Hayibo! Ha! Ha!
Hoezit /Howzit - How is it going?
Is it? - Is that so?
Example: “Last week we went on a game drive!
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Sho my bru!
Laduma! - he scores!
This term is usually screamed out when a soccer team scores a goal.
An Afrikaans word that has multiple meanings and which can be used in various contexts to describe many things from people to food to inanimate objects.
It is used to convey the meaning of great, delicious, nice or fun.
One of South Africa’s most popular desserts consisting of a sweet pastry crust and a creamy milk filling, topped with cinnamon powder.
Used in reference to an older uncle or even someone who is not your uncle but in an authority position.
A term used to describe a large brown millipede.
An Afrikaans word meaning limp and describing soft, fat French fries.
Usually said with an angry tone when telling someone to go away or get lost.
Preparing for a trip to the Rainbow Nation? Put your newfound linguistic skills to the test on one of these trips, tours and experiences in South Africa.
Put your newfound knowledge to the test with the help of a friendly local guide on one of these amazing multi-day tours in our South Africa collection. From safari adventures to city discoveries, coastal treasures, cultural experiences and so much more - this is how you do SA right.
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