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South African Slang: 60 Words Every Saffa Uses

South African Slang: 60 Words Every Saffa Uses Culture and community
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Howzit Team

South African slang is a mix of Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho and plain English that most Saffas use without noticing: lekker, eish, now-now, braai, howzit. This glossary explains 60 of the words and phrases you will hear most, with what each one means, how it is used and, where the dictionaries confirm it, where it comes from.

It is written for South Africans in the UK who fancy a laugh of recognition, and for the British partners, friends and colleagues still wondering why someone is waiting for the robot to go green.

What does howzit mean?

Howzit is a contraction of "how is it?" and does two jobs at once: it says hello and asks how you are. The Dictionary of South African English (DSAE) records it in print from 1975, and the Oxford English Dictionary added it in December 2018. A natural reply is "Lekker, and you?" It is also the name of this app, which tells you how far the word travels.

South African greetings and goodbyes

  • Sawubona (isiZulu): hello, literally "we see you". "Sawubona! Come in, the kettle's on."

  • Molo (isiXhosa): hello to one person; say molweni to a group. "Molo, how was the flight?"

  • Dumela (Sesotho and Setswana): good day, hello. "Dumela, nice to meet you."

  • Sharp or sharp-sharp: a greeting, a goodbye, a yes or a general thumbs up, as the South Africa Gateway glossary puts it. "See you Saturday? Sharp-sharp."

  • Totsiens (Afrikaans, "until seeing"): goodbye, see you again. "Totsiens, safe trip home."

  • Hamba kahle (isiZulu): go well, travel safely. "Hamba kahle, text me when you land."

Everyday South African slang words

These are the words that slip out at work, at the shops and on the phone home. Plenty of them are Afrikaans words: the OED notes that Dutch, and later Afrikaans, has had the strongest influence on South African English.

  • Lekker (Afrikaans, originally "delicious"): nice, great, good. "That was a lekker braai."

  • Now-now (from Afrikaans nou-nou): in a moment, or a moment ago. "I'll be there now-now."

  • Ja-nee (Afrikaans, "yes-no"; ja alone is yes): a vague, knowing agreement. "Ja-nee, it's going to rain again."

  • Ja well no fine: a resigned "whatever", said almost as one word. "Train's cancelled? Ja well no fine."

  • Yebo (isiZulu): yes, I agree. "Yebo, count me in."

  • Is it? (from Afrikaans is dit?): really? Mostly just polite interest. "I'm moving to Leeds." "Is it?"

  • Jol (Afrikaans): a party or a good time; also to party. "Big jol at Sipho's on Saturday."

  • Dop (South African Dutch): a drink, usually alcoholic. As a verb it means to fail. "I dopped maths."

  • Babbelas (Afrikaans, from isiZulu ibhabhalazi): a hangover. "Too many dops. Serious babbelas."

  • Kif (from Arabic kaif, pleasure, via English slang): cool, great. "Kif jacket, bru."

  • Bru and boet (Afrikaans): mate. Bru is short for broer, brother. "Howzit, boet?"

  • China: mate, from Cockney rhyming slang (china plate, mate), so Londoners half know it already. "Cheers, my china."

  • Oke or ou: a man, a bloke. "Who's that oke at the braai?"

  • Bakkie (Afrikaans bak, container, plus -ie): a pick-up truck. "Chuck the cooler box in the bakkie."

  • Skinner (Afrikaans skinder): gossip, or to gossip. "Stop skinnering about the neighbours."

  • Dwaal (Afrikaans): a daze. "Sorry, I was in a dwaal."

  • Padkos (Afrikaans, "road food"): food for a journey. "Don't forget the padkos."

  • Sarmie: a sandwich, possibly from northern English "sarnie". "Cheese and tomato sarmie, please."

South African food words

  • Braai (Afrikaans, from Dutch braden, to roast): a barbecue, the grill itself, and the verb. "Who's braaiing tonight?"

  • Boerewors (Afrikaans, "farmer's sausage"): coarse, spiced sausage, usually beef and pork; boerie for short. "Boerie and pap, sorted."

  • Droëwors (Afrikaans, "dry sausage"): air-dried, salted, spiced sausage. "Pass the droëwors."

  • Biltong (South African Dutch, bil, rump, plus tong, tongue, for the shape of the strips): salted dried meat. "Biltong for the match?"

  • Bunny chow: a hollowed-out half-loaf filled with curry, which originated in Durban. "One mutton bunny, please."

  • Vetkoek (Afrikaans, "fat cake"): deep-fried, unsweetened dough, often eaten with savoury mince. "Vetkoek and mince for lunch."

  • Koeksister (Afrikaans): twisted dough, deep-fried and dipped straight into cold syrup. "Gran's koeksisters are the best."

  • Bobotie (probably Malay in origin): lightly curried mince baked under a savoury custard. "Bobotie with yellow rice."

  • Potjiekos (Afrikaans, "little-pot food"): stew cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot over a fire. "The potjie needs three hours."

  • Pap (Afrikaans, from Dutch): maize porridge, often eaten with meat as pap en vleis. "Pap and wors, please."

  • Beskuit (Afrikaans): rusks. "Coffee and a rusk on the stoep."

If you are missing biltong, droëwors or a box of rusks, our guide to South African shops, butchers and biltong in the UK will point you to the nearest supply.

Expressions of surprise and frustration

Most of these are Afrikaans slang, with a few from isiZulu, isiXhosa and township English. Expect to hear them during any rugby match.

  • Eish (Tsotsitaal, township slang): surprise, frustration or resignation. "Eish, another rail strike."

  • Ag (Afrikaans): irritation, impatience or sympathy, often as ag man or ag shame. "Ag man, I left my brolly on the bus."

  • Yoh (also yo or yho; isiXhosa): surprise, dismay or disbelief. "Yoh, how much for a pint?"

  • Jislaaik (Afrikaans): wonder, delight or dismay. "Jislaaik, did you see that try?"

  • Eina (Afrikaans, possibly from Khoikhoi): ouch. "Eina! Stubbed my toe."

  • Sies (Afrikaans): disgust or disappointment. "Sies, the bin stinks."

  • Aikona (Fanakalo, from isiZulu and isiXhosa): no, certainly not. "Aikona, I'm not paying that."

  • Gatvol (Afrikaans): completely fed up. It is a bit crude (gat means backside), so mind the company. "I'm gatvol of this weather."

  • Voetsek (from Dutch voort seg ik, "be off, I say"): go away. Fine for a dog raiding the braai, rude when aimed at a person. "Voetsek, get off the meat!"

Words that mean something different in the UK

These are the ones that cause the most confusion in British offices and kitchens.

  • Robot: traffic lights. British English once used the word too, according to the DSAE, but dropped it. "Turn left at the robot."

  • Just now: later, in a while, not "a moment ago". "I'll do it just now" is no promise of speed.

  • Shame: sympathy, or "aww" at something cute, not disapproval. "Ag shame, look at the puppy."

  • Takkies: trainers. The origin is uncertain, possibly English "tacky". "Wear takkies, we're walking."

  • Slap chips: British chips. In South Africa crisps are "chips", so soft fried ones are slap (Afrikaans for limp).

  • Café: a corner shop, not a coffee shop. "Grab milk at the café."

  • Packet: a plastic carrier bag. "Do you need a packet?"

  • Circle: a roundabout. "Second exit at the circle."

  • Bond: a mortgage. "Our bond's finally approved."

  • Geyser: the hot water tank. "The geyser's burst again."

  • Cooldrink: any soft drink. "Grab the kids a cooldrink."

  • No meaning yes: "How are you?" "No, I'm fine." It is a sentence starter, not a refusal.

The South African accent

There is no single South African accent. The OED's introduction to South African English explains that because communities lived and studied separately under apartheid, several varieties grew up side by side, and those differences are now breaking down as children are educated together.

A few features make English-speaking Saffas easy to spot in a British office:

  • It is usually non-rhotic, like most British accents, so the "r" in "car" stays silent, though Afrikaans-influenced speakers may sound it.

  • The short "i" drifts towards "uh", so "pin" can sound like "pun".

  • Other vowels sit further forward: "bed" can sound like "bid", and "bad" like "bed".

  • Consonants are crisp. The British glottal stop, as in "bu'er" for butter, is rare.

  • Afrikaans loanwords keep the throaty "g", like the "ch" in Scottish loch: think gatvol.

It is often confused with Australian or New Zealand English, and the OED notes why: all three pronounce vowels further forward than British speakers do. The pronunciation details above also draw on the Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language.

South African English in the Oxford English Dictionary

The OED says it has recorded more than a thousand words and senses of South African origin. Its December 2018 update added a batch of everyday favourites, including howzit, ja, ja well no fine, kif, sarmie, skedonk (a battered old car), eina, dwaal, bunny chow, Mzansi and ubuntu. So when a British friend says howzit isn't a real word, you can point them to the dictionary.

Where to hear it all in the UK

Nothing brings the slang out like a Bok match, so check our guide to Springbok fixtures and where to watch in the UK, or find a braai or pub night on the Howzit UK events page. If you're missing people who know what lekker means, Howzit helps you find Saffas near you. Download Howzit and see who's close by.

Frequently asked questions

What does Saffa mean?

Saffa, sometimes spelt Saffer, is the informal nickname for a South African, used especially by and about South Africans living abroad. The country itself is often called Mzansi, from the isiXhosa and isiZulu word for "south".

What does lekker mean?

Lekker means nice, great or good, and it can describe almost anything, from food to a night out. It comes from Afrikaans, where it first meant delicious. "Local is lekker" is a popular slogan for backing South African products.

What are some funny South African sayings?

Many of the funniest mix Afrikaans and English. "Ja well no fine" packs yes, well, no and fine into one shrug, something that happened ages ago happened "in the year voetsek", and "now-now" is quicker than "just now", which can take a while. "Is it?" in reply to any news is a classic too.

Is voetsek a swear word?

Not quite, but it is rude. Voetsek is a rough "go away" traditionally shouted at dogs, and aimed at a person it is an insult or, between friends, a joke. Keep it out of the office.

Is the South African accent like the Australian accent?

They share some features, which is why people mix them up. Both, along with New Zealand English, pronounce many vowels further forward than British English. What usually gives a Saffa away is the slang, and the throaty "g" in Afrikaans words such as gatvol.