TABLE OF CONTENTS

Learn to speak
South African
South Africa is a land
rich in culture and
language so to kick
things off I thought we
would start with a list
of the most popular
South African words.
The 2010 FIFA World
Cup in South Africa
promises one thing – to
be different. However the
one constant that remains
is that you will be able
to enjoy yourselves safely
and in the company of
other football lovers.
If you find yourself sitting
next to a South African
supporter there are few
things that you will have
to know in order to keep
up with what is being said
in the stands.
Here is a list of terms to
help you on your way:
A
Ag (agh)
Generally used at the
beginning of a sentence,
to express resignation or
irritation, as in: “Ag no
man! What did you do
that for?”
Ayoba (a-yoh- ba)
A term used to describe
something as “cool” or
“exciting”, as in the “FIFA
World Cup in South
Africa will be ayoba”.
B
Braai (br-eye)
An outdoor barbecue,
where meat such as steak,
chicken and boerewors
(spicy sausage) are
cooked and served with
pap (see P) and stew.
All South Africans love a
good braai and expect to
attend your fair share.
C
China
To a South African, the
term china often means
good friend, as in “You
are all my chinas!”. It’s
one of the few Cockney
rhyming slang words to
survive in the country,
coming from “china
plate” = “mate”. Another
commonly used word
meaning the same thing
is “chommie” (cho- mi),
from the English word
chum.
D
Droewors (droo-uhvors)
Dried boerewors,
similar to biltong – which
is dried and salted meat.
This is the perfect snack
when you are watching
football or having a beer.
E
Eish (aysh)
Used to express surprise,
wonder, frustration or
outrage: “Eish that cut
hurt!”
Eina (ay-nah)
An expression of pain.
Afrikaans for “ouch”.
F
Fong-kong
Refers to something
which is obviously
fake, plastic or
non-believable.