Browse African Slang

Slang for a BMW car (refers to the iconic kidney grille looking like a G-string). (Origin: Tsotsitaal)

Stands for *“Game plan”*, meaning a strategy or plan (often pronounced as letters **G.P**).

Greatest of all time

Afrikaans for "go wild" or "go crazy." Used when someone is really letting loose or things are getting rowdy. You might ...

Refers to something disastrous or very bad (named after the 1993 Gabon air disaster that killed the national football te...

A group of girls.

Gather like a crew.

Grupo / turma (Gang / group)

A mixed-grill dish of assorted meats cooked together (also slang for any random mixture of things).

Turns out / actually (Zulu "kanti").

Money / big payout.

An idiot; a foolish person. (Origin: Tsotsitaal)

Overhyped / excited.

Short for *bogata*, a policeman. (Origin: Tsotsitaal)

A large, overstuffed sandwich famous in Cape Town (filled with fries, meat, salad, etc.).

Fed up, literally 'hole full' in Afrikaans, meaning you've had it up to here

Buddy / mate (Durban usage).

Close friend, literally “my blood” (<a href="/word/brother" class="internal-link" title="View definition of Brother">bro...

Onomatopoeia for trading blows; means a heated exchange or fight with back-and-forth drama.

Spirit, energy, enthusiasm (often team spirit).

Turn up / get lit.

To hustle or hustle life (making money by any means). (Origin: Tsotsitaal, from Swahili)

Suddenly stop responding

To play dumb or pretend not to know anything. (Origin: Tsotsitaal, Zulu origin)

Snack-plate meal,Wine & chips = girl dinner.

Funny spending logic,Girl math: sale means profit.

In South African usage, this means "give me a ride" in a vehicle. A "lift" refers to transportation. It's commonly used ...

Act out-of-character.

Person who keeps crew together.

Using elder's uncapped connection.

Grow / develop.

Literally “a hole” in Shona – slang for *extreme hunger (an empty “hole” in the stomach)*.

A fake product or a scam; also used as a verb *to trick or cheat*.

Afrikaans for "throw corn" but used idiomatically to mean "give it all you've got!" It's like telling someone to step on...

Hard Durban house genre; also energy.

Older respected guy / mentor.

Aura of seasoned authority.

Adlib sound (trap/rap).

Get old / wear out.

Streetwise person.

A gangster, thug or troublemaker. (Origin: Tsotsitaal)

A bit of humor: gumboot dancing was used by miners to communicate. When someone says their wallet is doing a gumboot dan...

Shyness / fear to approach.

Coward / scared.

Person with curves

Creepy-crawly insect or bug.