South African Slang
South African English has many unique words and expressions that you will hear everywhere:
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Howzit | Universal greeting (How is it?) |
| Lekker | Tasty/cool/super — the most versatile word |
| Braai | Grilling — NEVER say "barbecue"! |
| Bru / Bra | Buddy, brother |
| Ja-nee | "Yes-no" — means agreement (yes, really!) |
| Now-now | Soon, shortly (but not immediately) |
| Just now | Sometime (could take hours!) |
| Right now | Actually now, immediately |
| Eish! | Exclamation of surprise, frustration, or amazement |
| Shame! | Sympathy — "Oh, poor thing!" (meant positively!) |
| Robot | Traffic light |
| Bakkie | Pickup truck |
| Boet | Brother, buddy (Afrikaans) |
| Dof | Stupid, silly |
| Sharp-sharp! | All good! Cool! |
| Yebo | Yes (Zulu) — used by everyone |
| Ubuntu | Humanity, sense of community |
| Madiba | Nelson Mandela's clan name — affectionate term |
Understanding the three "Nows":
- "I\'ll do it now" = Sometime today, maybe
- "I\'ll do it now-now" = Soon, in the next 30 minutes
- "I\'ll do it right now" = Actually now, immediately
You only understand this distinction after being in South Africa. "African time" is real — and charming.
