Some useful South African regionalisms

This is a list of unique South African words and expressions that you'll defo come across when travelling in South Africa:

• arvie - afternoon
• babbelas - hangover
  
• bakkie - a utility truck, pickup truck
• baas - boss
• biltong - cured meat, similar to jerky
• boer - Afrikaans for farmer
• boerewors - spicy sausage from (Afrikaans) "farmer-sausage" [more]
  
• braai - BBQ
• braaivleis - the meat cooked on the barbecue
  
• brinjal - eggplant
• boer - literally "farmer" in Afrikaans. English-speaking people use the word to indicate an Afrikaans farmer. in a derogatory way. Afrikaners use it with a certain pride.
• boet/bra - male friend, "dude"
• bunny chow - loaf of bread filled with curry, speciality of Durban, particularly Durban Indians [more]
  
• cool drink, cold drink - soft drink, fizzy drink, not necessarily chilled
• dagga - marijuana
• dorpie - small town
• eish! - an interjection expressing resignation
• fundi - expert
• geyser - domestic water boiler
• how's it/ howzit - "hello, how are you?". Almost exclusively a greeting, and seldom a question
• is it? - an all purpose exclamative, can be used in any context where "really?" etc. would be appropriate
• just now - soon, later, or in a short while, but never immediately.
• jol - to have fun, to party
  
• kak - shit, crap, rubbish etc.
• kiff - (adjective) poisonous, wicked, cool, neat, great, wonderful.
• kombi - a minivan (from the Volkswagen 'Kombi' van)
• laduma! - a pretty popular cheer at football matches, "he scores!" (literally: "it thunders", in Zulu)
• lekker - nice, good, great
• mielie - an ear of maize
• Monkey Gland Sauce - a fruity, spicy sauce [more]
  
• Mzansi - South Africa (uMzantsi in Xhosa means "south")
• naartjie - orange-colored citrus fruit
  
• now now - soon (sooner than just now)
• oke - a guy, bloke (pronounced "oak")
• pap - traditional maize porridge
• robot - traffic lights in South Africa [more]
  
• rooinek - ("red neck") derogatory term for English person. Almost the exact opposite to the American usage of "redneck".
• rondavel - round free-standing building, usually with a thatched roof
• sangoma - traditional healer
• shebeen - (illegal) drinking establishment in South Africa's townships
• sosatie - a kebab on a stick
• spaza - an informal trading post/convenience store found in townships
• taxi - shared taxi (usually a minibus taxi) as well as taxicab
• tekkies - sneakers, trainers
• toyi-toyi - Zulu for protesting and dancing in the street
• tsotsi - gangster
• veld - virgin bush, grassland or wide open rural spaces
• voetsek - go away (not friendly!)