“On Saturday, I was riding in a G-string with my oukie with Jesus & Brothers in my hand on our way to a kak chisinyama on the block”. 😁

If you’re not South African or are South African but you’ve been living under a rock, then you’re probably thinking what the F*@k does the above statement mean.

Loose translation: “On Saturday, I was in a Mercedez Benz with my boyfriend drinking J&B whisky on our way to a local restaurant that serves barbecued meat.”

Related article: Learn how to #Kasi

This is simply how local South Africans speak on a daily basis. This is township lingo or Scamto, which is formally known as Tsotsi taal.

Well, if you are a *cheese boy/girl and are still confused about this cool sublanguage, I’m about to school you.

Township lingo has history just like any other mainstream language.

If we flash back, the language has existed ‘van toeka af’ in Sophiatown in the 50s & 60s and during those days, the language was only understood by comrades and it ensured privacy between the squad and their enemies during the Apartheid era.

The language is predominantly spoken in many South African townships today.

The diversity in South Africa is one of the points that make our Rainbow Nation beautiful.

Tsotsi taal is a combination of different languages and most of the words from the language are borrowed from the Afrikaans language.

The taal varies according to townships and it is only perceived by the inhabitants of the specific area.

Here are Top 7 Tsotsi taal slang words that vary in regions, and that you should never confuse in Cape Town and Joburg:

|1. Shack|

Shacks are found in informal settlement (the slums). Shacks are makeshift homes that are made of materials such as zinc or planks.

|2. Bompie|

A frozen, flavoured treat.

#icepop #thanksarsinghahah

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|3. Begh-ee|

Homeless person; A tramp or vagrant.

|4. Tsotsi|

Urban criminal who steals, lies and generally is not to be trusted.

#Tsotsi

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|5. Spaza shop|

An informal convenience shop usually run from home

|6. Doek|

A length cloth worn around the neck or head.

Wifey ka Ndae Remy 😍💄💍 #doek #kobo

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|7. Tsips|

Potato chips are cut and then deep fried.

*Cheese – Posh or uptight

– Jane Folodi

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