1,2,3...

2 BOB - 20c. Origins from British money . (Sent by Sarah Maseko)

411 - Giving someone the latest news and gossip.

5 BOB - 50c. Origins from British money. (Sent by Sarah Maseko)

6 no 9 – (Origin: When you flip over a 6 it looks like a 9 and vice versa) It means same difference. Like potato, potatoe.

6,9 - One says these numbers when you need to use the toilet. (Sent in by Virginia)

18 – Refers to your true girlfriend, Slang used mostly in Mahwelereng Township, Mokopane in Limpopo. (Sent by Phala Medupi)

9,9 - Straight talk e.g I am telling you 9,9 means telling you straight (sent by Naledi Modise.)

A

Amabinneplaas - township slang meaning players who are with small local teams. Origin is afrikaans, with 'binne' meaning inside / localized. eg. Amabinneplaas, the South African national development squad, will meet Mozambique in the final of the Cosafa Senior Challenge after beating Zambia 1-0 at Thulamahashe Stadium in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

Amachips – Sex (Thembela_Maqungo)


Amajita - Refers to a group of guys. It is also the name of the South African under-20 national soccer team.

Ama-get-down - Refers to dancing or to have a party . E.g "Sizobe sishaya ama-get-down le-weekend," (translate: we will be having a party and dancing this weekend). (Sent in by Mboniseni Nemaangani)

Amanzi amamncane- means; its just a small problem that will be solved easily. (Sent in by Siphiwe Nkutha.

Amashwang-shwang or Amashwang-shweng - Means a nice/beautiful hair style by a lady. (Sent by Victor Sakala)

Amawaza - It means nonsense.

Alfred Khuzwayo - means an AK-47 as in "Ngi zom' thethisa nge Alfred Khuzwayo" (translate: "I'll shoot him down with an AK-47".)

Ama-chochoroach - It means thugs or crminals.
Uses: There are too many Ama-chochoroach in this town - meaning there are lot of thugs in this town. (Sent in by Bridget Sekhula)

Arbs - They don’t have a name yet. Or names. They are arbs.

Archie - Refers to a passage or an alley. (Sent in Tshitso Gratitude Tladi)

Ashie - (Origins: Ashes are cases by fire, which was started with matches) A box of matches. (Sent in by Vincent Kunutu)

Autie - Means a boy (Sent in by Vincent Lekalakala)

Ayoba - It means hello. (Sent in by Collen Lithole)

Ayobaness - popular salute; also refers to the post-kwaito (Facebook) generation.

B

Baaza - Means go away. (used in local Namibian townships NB Not polite)
(Sent by Moses Amadhila)

Bhecesha – means to drive. Soweto slang. (Sent by Thembela Magungo)

Baller or Balla - A person who dresses and lives an extravagant, garish lifestyle sometimes funded through criminal means, eg drug dealers and pimps. Or just a person with lots of money.

Bathu - It means a shoe. (Sent in by Molaudi Nkareng)

Beirut - (Origins: It's the the Labenese capital and it is known for it's fatal bombing )It means a dangerous place . (Sent in by Arthur Mufamadi)

Bhari - an idiot. Also see moemish.

Bheshuka - means to run away. As in ... "Wa bheshuka me kuvela'bo gata" (He ran away as soon as the police showed up!)

Bhoba / Maovo – Means to talk. Slang used mostly in Mahwelereng Township, Mokopane in Limpopo. (Sent by Phala Medupi)

Bhuda - Means Bra (informal township way of saying Mr ) someone who is a male and also older than you.
(Sent by Cingo Zuko )

Bi-lateral -When you talk to someone about something. (Sent in by Vincent Kunutu)

Blind – Means something or someone is good or impressive. (Sent by Tshepo Nawane)

Bling-Bling - Ladies who are light in complexion. (Sent in by Arthur Mufamadi)

Blomer - Sit or Stay. (Sent in by Tshitso Gratitude Tladi)

Bokgata or Bo 4 - Means the police. (Sent in by Ishmael Leoli and Gomoco)

Bomber - It means a train. (Sent in by Thabo Thipe)

Bo moghwanti - means loose girls. From Setswana: Ghwana, meaning walk to fast. (Sent by William Mello)

Bo thakalani (Bo Sarafina) - means those 14-18 year old high school girls. Origins from the TV show Takalani Sesame and movie Sarafina.
(Sent by William Mello)

Boyz - (Origins: Pretoria township slang) Meaning a two rand coin, typically used to indicate how inflation erodes monetary value, ie; "I've got too few Boyz to be rich".

Bhuti - Refers to a brother, bro, guy friend. Uses: Molo Bhuti (hello my bro)

Boogooman - Refers to any funny person or thing. Uses: David Kau is a boogooman. (Sent in by Kwela Tebza)

C

Cava- means to see, or to look. As in "Cava daai ding." (translates: "Look at that ...")

Chalk - R20 note. (Sent in by James Mathamela)

Charmza - Someone who is very charming. Mining magnate Patrice Motsepe is our charmza for donating R3m to the Nelson Mandela’s Foundation.

Cheese boy/girl- Refers to someone who has money.

Cheri - Refers to ones girlfriend.

Chommie - More likely to be used by young girls than guys, and it refers to a friend. There is also a music artist who goes by this name.

Code 12 - Means a pregnant woman according to the EMS workers (From Sarah)

Code 14 - (Origin Motor vehicle code for trucks) refers to endomorphic or a fat person. (Sent by Tshabalala Siphiwe)

Costellator - means cought out, as in, "Ka costellator ke medi gister." (translate: "I got cought out by my girlfriend yesterday.")

D

Da - A shortened word for "the".


Dae Ding - Means that thing. Uses: If somebody doesn't want to mention what he/she is asking for, they will say give me 'Dae Ding' meaning give me 'That Thing'. (Sent in by Bridget Sekhula)

Dankie San - (Origins: Rap Music.) Meaning Thanks, Dude. Soweto rapper Pro Kid has used it for his new fashion label, bringing it into the commercial space.

Danyane or Mawela - Refers to a prison. (Sent in by Ezekiel Mogodi)

Digits - Refers to cellphone number. "Can I get your digits?".

Di ntshang? - Means what's up? Origin from Sesotho. (Sent by William Mello)

Dizzy moon - Refers to a loose woman

Dladla - Refers to a house. (Sent in by Thabo Thipe)

Dladleng - Means at home, at my place. (Sent by Sydwell Motsoane)

Doing a Bafana - Demanding more smeka(money) for being mediocre (Sent in by Lesetja)

Doing a Benni - (Origins: The saying comes from the formerly much-lauded Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy's "uncharitable habit of turning his back on his country", following many instances of failing to turn up to play for South Africa's national football squad.) Meaning showing disloyalty / being irresponsible.

Dozo - It's a cigarette (Sent in by Molaudi Nkareng)

Drada (in Zulu) or Drata (in SeSotho) - R100. Uses: 'Kupa ungkadime drata' - Please borrow me a R100. Also see 'Nare' (Sent in by Joe M.)

Duh - Used sarcastically to highlight something obvious.

Dulaas - Means stolen good/goods (Sent by Tumisang Setlholoeng)

Drumtel - Means Stupid person. See also Jakarumba. (By Bongani ka Ngwenya)

E

Eish - (Origins: Unknown) (pronounced like aysh but also, less often, as ish) - Used to express everything ranging from frustration to surprise to disapproval, but also just everyday acknowledgement of things you can't change like "Eish, the traffic is bad today". You will hear it within a few minutes of each and every day! Also used to indicate displeasure.
Uses: At the time I was the only black guy and I used to ask myself “Eish, what am I doing here?”
Eish, Sister (commiserations to a female friend; our white Sandton neighbours say "shame, doll" to mean the same thing) Dankie Timer.
Eish, dankie, dankie (meaning "thank you, yes, I hear you, old man ie old timer, sorry, thanks, thanks".


ERockasi - Diepklooof , suburb in Soweto (Slang from Dumisani hakathi)

Emzambhiya - Zola township in Soweto. (Slang from Dumisani Phakathi)

Egwapos - Refers to a pair of funny looking boots. Origin: From a character in the movie Three Amigos, who used to wear funny and ragged looking boots. Uses: Look at his egwapos.
(Sent in by Kwela Tebza)