Top 20 Unique Vocabulary Words to Know When Visiting and Touring South Africa

Familiar English, wonderfully unfamiliar meanings

South Africa offers a particularly enjoyable vocabulary surprise: you may already recognise a word and still need its local meaning. Robot can mean a traffic light, while now now is not a precise clock reading. Lekker can praise a meal or a day. These twenty words for visiting and touring South Africa make conversations, menus and street descriptions easier to follow.

The selection draws from several languages and from everyday South African English. Usage varies by place, community and generation, and some terms are also familiar beyond the country. The pleasure lies in their local combinations: a greeting before a braai, a named relish on a plate, or a direction mentioning a robot. Listen to the actual speaker and setting. A small clarification often makes the difference between recognising a sound and understanding what someone means.

Howzit, lekker, eish and sharp: listen to the tone

Howzit opens an informal exchange. Lekker can mean nice, enjoyable or tasty, so its precise sense depends on what is being discussed. Eish is an exclamation whose tone may suggest surprise, frustration or dismay. Sharp can signal agreement or a positive response, and can also appear in greetings or farewells.

The local operator Come to Cape Town’s language guide discusses everyday usage and regional context. Recognise these expressions first, then use them when the conversation makes sense. There is no need to force several into one sentence. Listening to tone and response is part of the vocabulary lesson. A word praising lunch and the same word describing an enjoyable outing show how a compact expression can travel naturally between situations.

Contents · Previous section · Next section

Robot, bakkie and now now: the practical surprises

Robot is a traffic light in South African English, which can make directions unexpectedly clear once you know the meaning. Bakkie commonly names a pickup truck. Now now points towards soon or shortly, but it should not be treated as an exact duration. If a meeting or departure depends on timing, ask for the actual time.

These are useful examples of why knowing English does not eliminate the need for local vocabulary. The Nelson Mandela Bay tourism-hosted visitor guide includes robot, bakkie and howzit. Observe how a person uses the word rather than translating every occurrence mechanically. A familiar term can become a reliable clue when it is connected with the right setting: a junction, a vehicle or a casual promise about when something will happen.

Contents · Previous section · Next section

Braai, shisa nyama and food made social

Braai can refer to barbecue cooking and to the gathering around it. Shisa nyama connects grilled meat with particular eating places and social occasions. South African Tourism’s shisa nyama overview describes this setting. The vocabulary names an experience involving people as well as heat and food.

Boerewors adds a seasoned sausage, while pap and chakalaka introduce porridge and relish. Ask what is being served and which ingredients are included. A gathering’s menu and the people doing the cooking need not fit a single traditional division of roles. Notice the actual choices and conversation. The most vivid account may be a small scene: a sausage moved on the grill, a spoonful of relish added to a plate, or someone explaining their preferred preparation.

Contents · Previous section · Next section

Biltong, droëwors and potjiekos: different methods

Biltong and droëwors both involve drying meat, but one names dried meat pieces and the other dried sausage. Potjiekos shifts attention to slow cooking in a small cast-iron pot. The three terms are useful together because they show how a food name can carry a preparation method inside it.

A shop or cook can explain the specific meat, seasoning and process. Compare the actual items rather than assuming every dried-meat product tastes the same. Potjiekos can involve different ingredients, so ask what is in the pot. Notice the container, pace of cooking and way the dish is served. Naming those details gives the meal a clearer story and connects the final result with the work that produced it.

Contents · Previous section · Next section

Bunny chow, bobotie and two pastries worth distinguishing

Bunny chow is bread hollowed out and filled with curry. The name does not tell you that rabbit is involved; the actual filling needs an explanation. Bobotie names a baked minced-meat dish with an egg-based topping. South African Tourism’s food vocabulary guide provides context for several local menu names.

Vetkoek adds fried dough bread that may have a sweet or savoury filling. Koeksister commonly names a braided syrup-coated fried pastry; Cape Malay koesister preparations are distinct, so the similar names should not be casually collapsed. Ask about the item in front of you. Describing its shape, texture and preparation is a useful way to make the distinction memorable. A menu becomes much more interesting when each name leads to a particular food rather than a generic promise of local flavour.

Contents · Previous section · Next section

Ubuntu and the value of keeping people in the picture

Ubuntu introduces an ethical idea centred on humanity and relationships with others. A short English gloss cannot cover all its philosophical depth. It deserves more care than being attached automatically to every friendly encounter. Ask how a speaker uses the idea when it arises naturally, and leave room for different interpretations and experiences.

The same attention to people improves the whole vocabulary list. Howzit belongs to an exchange; braai belongs to a particular gathering; a recipe belongs to the person preparing it. South Africa’s distinctiveness emerges through those connections, alongside regional and linguistic variety. Choose a few words that match the day and record the situation in which they became clear. A greeting, a direction and a named dish can give one outing a wonderfully specific shape, with language preserving the details that made it enjoyable.

Contents · Previous section · Back to the 20 words