South African Slang – An English Reading Lesson

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South African Slang – An English Reading Lesson

Exploring South African Culture through Language

by Kgabiso Kobue (KB)

26 March 2025

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you will be able to :

1. Identify and understand the meanings of common South African slang words.

2. Compare South African slang words with Dutch language influences.

3. Use South African slang words in conversational contexts.

4. Use Present and Past Continuous sentences in conversational contexts.

Aussies Guess South African Slang

Which words do you recognize from the video?

Welke woorden herken je uit de video?

Thanks to the variety of languages spoken in South Africa, locals tend to borrow words from each language, resulting in slang words or phrases known as ‘South Africanisms’. If you’re visiting South Africa any time soon, here are seven words to help you understand locals better!

1. Howzit – A casual way to say ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you?’ (‘Howzit, my friend?’)

2. Lekker – Means ‘great’ or ‘nice.’ (‘That was a lekker meal!’)

3. Kief – Means ‘cool’ or ‘awesome.’ (‘That’s a kief jacket!’)

4. Braai – A barbecue with friends and family. (‘We’re having a braai this weekend.’)

5. Skinner – Gossip or talking about others. (‘Stop skinnering about me!’)

6. Sharp – A way to say ‘goodbye’ or ‘okay.’ (‘Sharp sharp, see you later!’)

7. Jol – Means ‘party’ or ‘have fun.’ (‘We had a jol last night!’)

 

Now you’re ready to chat like a local! (Collison, 2025., Adapted)

 

Guided Reading

Role-Play Exercises

1. Work in groups of 4.

2. Create a short role play (5-6 sentences).
   Be creative! Make it sound real.

3. Use at least 3 South African slang words in your role play.

4. Use Present or Past continuous in your role play

5. Read your role play for the class and HAVE FUN!

Voorbeeld :

John: "Howzit going with you today my friend?"

Braam: "Ag, good man. I had a braai with my family, the food was so lekker. I was eating all day" ...

Definition List

Lekker: A South African slang word meaning 'nice' or 'good'. Kief: A slang term used to describe something cool or great. Braai: A South African term for a barbecue or grill. Skinner: Slang for gossiping or chatting informally. Howzit: A common greeting in South Africa, similar to 'hello' or 'how are you?'. Jol: A term for a party or having a good time.

(Collison, 2025)

Write down 2 things you learned in this lesson.

Reference List:

Collison, L. (2025, February 28). 18 South African slang Words and Phrases you should know. Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/south-africa/articles/18-south-african-slang-words-and-phrases-you-should-know

Dankie, guys!
Presented by KB
Any questions? Give me a shout!