South Africa is home to breathtaking beauty, exciting vibrancy and interesting diversity.
Apart from ubuntu and the warmth of South Africans, a number of other things set our rainbow nation apart.
These include commonly used slang terms which are widely understood across different races and varying walks of life.
Picture: iStock / WIreStock
Here are a few South African terms you need to know:
Aikona! [eye-koh-na]
A Zulu term used to express shock or disbelief.
Babbelas [bub-ba-las]
Derived from the Zulu word ‘ibhabhalazi’, it is used to describe a bad hangover.
Awe! [Ah-weh]
A term used as a greeting or to express being in agreement with someone or something.
Braai [brr-rye]
If you’re not South African, you probably call it a barbecue. But a braai is much more than a barbecue. It’s a whole cultural experience, usually happening during a sports game, or just as an excuse to hang out.
Eish! [ay-sh]
A Khoi-San expression for when someone experiences surprise.
Jol [jorl]
To have a good time. To party. To have fun. To dance. To enjoy each other’s company.
Lekker [lack-err]
An Afrikaans word that really could mean anything, but always has a good connotation. Generally, it means “nice” or “good”.
Biltong [bill—tong]
Lean meat which is salted and dried in strips.
Yebo [yeah-boh]
A term used to respond to a greeting. It also means “yes”, but it is used as an extremely expressive form of the affirmative. It’s often used as a double positive, saying “Yebo yes!”.
Boerewors [boor-uh-vors]
Literally meaning ‘farmer’s sausage’, this is a savoury sausage that is often braaied (or barbecued) and then eaten as a variation of a hot dog.
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