In Cape Town and along the Garden Route, you’ll rarely, if ever, need to use any other language than English. Around thirty percent of whites are mother-tongue English speakers, and South African English has its own distinct character, as different from the Queen’s English as Australian. Its most notable characteristic is its unique words and usages, some of which are drawn from Afrikaans and the indigenous African languages. The hefty Oxford Dictionary of South African English makes for an interesting browse.
Afrikaans, although a language you seldom need to speak, nevertheless remains very much in evidence in South Africa, and you will certainly encounter it on official forms and countless signs, particularly on the road. A common one to look out for, when you are driving to Cape Town, is Kaapstad, the Afrikaans name for the city. If you talk to a Jo’burger about the relatively sleepy Mother City, they might jokingly refer to it as slaapstad.
The other main language spoken in Cape Town is Xhosa, the predominant mother tongue of the city’s African residents and easily distinguished by the clicks that form part of the words. It is also Nelson Mandela’s mother tongue, which he shares with over eight million other South Africans, predominantly in the Eastern Cape.
The glossary below is far from comprehensive, but it does include some of the more common words that are unique to South African English. Words whose spelling makes it hard to guess how to render them have their approximate pronunciation given in italics. Where gh occurs in the pronunciation, it denotes the ch sound in the Scottish word loch. Sometimes we’ve used the letter “r” in the pronunciation, even though the word in question doesn’t contain this letter; for example, we’ve given the pronunciation of “Egoli” as “air-gaw-lee”. In these instances the syllable containing the “r” is meant to represent a familiar word or sound from English; the “r” itself shouldn’t be pronounced.
African In the context of South Africa, an indigenous South African
Afrikaner Literally “African”: a white person who speaks Afrikaans
Aloe Family of spiky indigenous succulents, often with dramatic orange flowers
Apartheid (apart-hate) Term used from the 1940s for the National Party’s official policy of “racial separation”
Arvie Afternoon
Baai Afrikaans word meaning “bay”; also a common suffix in place names, eg Stilbaai
Bakkie (bucky) Light truck or van
Bantu (bun-too) Unscientific apartheid term for indigenous black people; in linguistics, a group of indigenous southern-African languages
Bantustan Term used under apartheid for the territories such as Transkei, reserved for Africans
Bergie A vagrant living on the slopes of Table Mountain; a homeless person on the streets of Cape Town
Big Five A term derived from hunting that refers to the trophy animals hunters most want to bag: lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino; often now used generically to indicate top big game country (as opposed to game reserves that only have antelope and other small mammals)
Black Imprecise term that sometimes refers collectively to Africans, Indians and coloureds, but more usually is used to mean Africans
Boer (boor) Literally “farmer”, but also refers to early Dutch colonists at the Cape and Afrikaners
Boland (boor-lunt) Southern part of the Western Cape
Bottle store Off-licence or liquor store
Boy Offensive term used to refer to an adult African man who is a servant
Bundu (approximately boon-doo, but with the vowels shortened) Wilderness or backcountry
Burgher Literally a citizen, but more specifically a member of the Dutch community at the Cape in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; free burghers were VOC employees released from contract to farm independently on the Cape Peninsula and surrounding areas
Bush See bundu
Bushman South Africa’s earliest, but now almost extinct, inhabitants who lived by hunting and gathering
Cape Doctor The southeaster that brings cool winds during the summer months
Cape Dutch Nineteenth-century, whitewashed, gabled style of architecture
Cape Dutch Revival Twentieth-century style based on Cape Dutch architecture
CBD The Central Business District of central Cape Town
Coloured South African people of mixed race, descended from diverse ancestors including slaves and Islamic dissidents brought to Cape Town by the Dutch East India Company.
Dagga (dugh-a) Marijuana
Dagha (dah-ga) Mud used in indigenous construction
Dassie (dussy) Hyrax
Disa (die-za) One of twenty species of beautiful indigenous orchid, most famous of which is the red disa or “Pride of Table Mountain”
Dominee (dour-min-ee) Reverend (abbreviated to Ds)
Dorp Country town or village (derived from Afrikaans)
Drostdy (dross-tea) Historically, the building of the landdrost or magistrate
Fundi Expert
Fynbos (fayn-boss) Term for vast range of fine-leafed species that predominate in the southern part of the Western Cape
Girl Offensive term used to refer to an African woman who is a servant
Gogga (gho-gha) Creepy-crawly or insect
Griqua Person of mixed white, Bushman and Hottentot descent
Group Areas Act Now-defunct law passed in 1950 that provided for the establishment of separate areas for each “racial group”
Homeland See bantustan
Hottentot Now-unfashionable term for indigenous Khoisan herders encountered by the first settlers at the Cape
Indaba Zulu term meaning a group discussion and now used in South African English for any meeting or conference
Is it? Really?
Jislaaik! (yis-like) Exclamation equivalent to “Geez!” or “Crikey!”
Jol Party, celebration
Just now In a while
Kaffir Highly objectionable term of abuse for Africans
Karoo Arid plateau that occupies a large proportion of the South African interior
Khoikhoi (ghoy-ghoy) Self-styled name of South Africa’s original herding inhabitants
Khoisan A conflation of the terms “Khoikhoi” and “San” used to collectively refer to South Africa’s aboriginal inhabitants; the two were socially, but not ethnically, distinct, the Khoikhoi having been herders and the San hunter-gatherers
Kloof (klo-ef) Ravine or gorge
Knobkerrie Wooden club
Koppie Hillock
Kramat (crum-mutt) Shrine of a Muslim holy man
Krans (crunce) Sheer cliff face; plural kranse
Lapa Courtyard of group of Ndebele houses; also used to describe an enclosed area at safari camps, where braais are held
Lekker Nice
Lobola (la-ball-a) Bride price, paid by an African man to his wife’s parents
Location Old-fashioned term for segregated African area on the outskirts of a town or farm
Madiba Mandela’s clan name, used affectionately
Malay Misnomer for Cape Muslims of Asian descent
Mbira (m-beer-a) African thumb piano, often made with a gourd
MK Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the armed wing of the ANC, now incorporated into the national army
Mlungu (m-loon-goo) African term for a white person, equivalent to honkie
Moffie (mawf-ee) Gay person
Mother City Nickname for Cape Town
Muti (moo-tee) See umuthi
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika “God Bless Africa”, anthem of the ANC and now of South Africa
Pass Document that Africans used to have to carry at all times, which essentially rendered them aliens in their own country
Pastorie (puss-tour-ee) Parsonage
Platteland (plutta-lunt) Country districts
Poort Narrow pass through mountains along a river course
Protea National flower of South Africa
Raadsaal (the “d” is pronounced “t”) Council or parliament building
Robot Traffic light
Rondavel (ron-daa-vil, with the stress on the middle syllable) Circular building based on traditional African huts
San A more common term for Bushmen (see above)
Sangoma (sun-gom-a) Traditional spirit medium and healer
Shebeen (sha-bean) Unlicensed township tavern
Southeaster Prevailing wind in the Western Cape
Spaza shops Small stall or kiosk
Stoep Veranda
Strandloper Literally “beach walkers”; Bushman or San social group who lived along the shores of the Western Cape and whose hunting and gathering consisted largely of shellfish and other seafood
Tackies Sneakers or plimsolls
Township Area set aside under apartheid for Africans
Transkei (trans-kye) Now-defunct homeland for Xhosa speakers
Trekboer (trek-boor) Nomadic Afrikaner farmers, usually in the eighteenth and nineteenth century
Umuthi (oo-moo-tee) Traditional herbal medicine
Vlei (flay) Swamp
VOC Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the Dutch East India Company
Voortrekkers (the first syllable rhymes with “boor”) Dutch burghers who migrated inland in their ox wagons in the nineteenth century to escape British colonialism
Amarula Liqueur that is made from the berries of the marula tree
Begrafnisrys (ba-ghruff-niss-race) Literally “funeral rice”; traditional Cape Muslim dish of yellow rice cooked with raisins
Biltong Sun-dried salted strips of meat, that are chewed as a snack
Blatjang (blutt-young) Cape Muslim chutney that has become a standard condiment on South African dinner tables
Bobotie (ba-boor-tea) Traditional Cape curried mince topped with a savoury custard and often cooked with apricots and almonds
Boerekos (boor-a-coss) Farm food, usually consisting of loads of meat and vegetables cooked using butter and sugar
Boerewors (boor-a-vorce) Spicy lengths of sausage that are de rigueur at braais
Bokkoms Dried fish, much like salt fish
Braai (bry) Barbecue
Braaivleis (bry-flace) Barbecued meat
Bredie Cape vegetable and meat stew
Cane or cane spirit A potent vodka-like spirit distilled from sugar cane and generally mixed with a soft drink such as Coke
Cap Classique Sparkling wine fermented in the bottle in exactly the same way as Champagne; also called Méthode Cap Classic
Cape gooseberry Fruit of the physalis; a sweet yellow berry
Cape salmon or geelbek (ghear-l-beck) Delicious firm-fleshed sea fish (unrelated to northern-hemisphere salmon)
Cape Velvet A sweet liqueur-and-cream dessert beverage that resembles Irish Cream liqueur
Denningvleis (den-ning-flace) Spicy traditional Cape lamb stew
Frikkadel Fried onion and meatballs
Geelbek See Cape salmon
Hanepoort (harner-poort) Delicious sweet dessert grape
Kabeljou (cobble-yo) Common South African marine fish, also called kob
Kerrievis (kerry-fiss) See pickled fish
Kingklip Highly prized deepwater fish caught along the Atlantic and Indian ocean coasts
Kob See kabeljou
Koeksister (cook-sister) Deep-fried plaited doughnut, dripping with syrup
Maas or amasi or amaas Traditional African beverage consisting of naturally soured milk. It is available as a packaged dairy product in supermarkets
Maaskaas Cottage cheese made from maas
Mageu or mahewu or maheu (ma-gh-weh) Traditional African beer made from maize meal and water, now packaged and commercially available
Malva Very rich and very sweet traditional baked Cape dessert
Mampoer (mum-poor) Moonshine; home-distilled spirit made from soft fruit, commonly peaches
Mealie See mielie
Melktert (melk-tairt) Traditional Cape custard pie
Mielie Maize
Mielie pap (mealy pup) Maize porridge, varying from a thin mixture to a stiff one that can resemble polenta
Mqomboti (m-qom-booty) Traditional African beer made from fermented sorghum
Musselcracker Large-headed fish with powerful jaws and firm, white flesh
Naartjie (nar-chee) Tangerine or mandarin
Pap (pup) Porridge
Peri-peri Delicious hottish spice of Portuguese origin commonly used with grilled chicken
Perlemoen (pear-la-moon) Abalone
Pickled fish Traditional Cape dish of fish preserved with onions, vinegar and curry. It is available tinned in supermarkets
Pinotage A uniquely South African cultivar hybridized from Pinot Noir and Hermitage grapes and from which a wine of the same name is made
Potjiekos or potjie (poy-key-kos) Food cooked slowly over embers in a three-legged cast-iron pot
Putu (poo-too) Traditional African mielie pap prepared until it forms dry crumbs
Rooibos (roy-boss) tea Indigenous herbal tea, made from the leaves of a particular fynbos plant
Rooti Chapati
Salmon trout Freshwater fish that is often smoked to create a cheaper and pretty good imitation of smoked salmon
Salomie Roti
Sambals (sam-bills) Accompaniments, such as chopped bananas, green peppers, desiccated coconut and chutney, served with Cape curries
Samp Traditional African dish of broken maize kernels, frequently cooked with beans
Skokiaan (skok-ee-yan) Potent home-brew
Smoorsnoek (smore-snook) Smoked snoek
Snoek (snook) Large fish that features in many traditional Cape recipes
Sosatie (so-sah-ti) Spicy skewered mince
Spanspek (spon-speck) A sweet melon
Steenbras (ste-en-bruss) A delicious white-fleshed fish
Van der Hum South African naartjie-flavoured liqueur
Vetkoek (fet-cook) Deep-fried doughnut-like cake
Waterblommetjiebredie (vata-blom-a-key-bree-dee) Cape meat stew made with waterlily rhizomes
Witblits (vit-blitz) Moonshine
Yellowtail Delicious darkish-fleshed marine fish
Derde Third
Doeane Customs
Drankwinkel Liquor shop
Eerste First
Geen ingang No entry
Gevaar Danger
Goof Main
Hoog High
Ingang Entrance
Inligting Information
Kantoor Office
Kerk Church
Kort Short
Links Left
Lughawe Airport
Mans Men
Mark Market
Ompad Detour
Pad Road
Padwerke voor Roadworks ahead
Perron Station platform
Polisie Police
Poskantoor Post office
Regs Right
Ry Go
Sentrum Centre
Singel Crescent
Stad City
Stad sentrum City centre
Stadig Slow
Stasie Station
Strand Beach
Swembad Swimming pool
Verbode Prohibited
Verkeer Traffic
Versigtig Carefully
Vierde Fourth
Vrouens Women
Vyfde Fifth