A Londoner learns that South African English is less about grammar and more about humour and everyday connection.
South Africa (09 September 2025) – South Africa continues to confuse the rest of the world with its unique and sometimes funny lingo.
A recent Instagram video from a Londoner living in South Africa captures this perfectly.
Tara Berwin explains that before moving to South Africa nearly four years ago, she was already surrounded by South Africans in her old neighbourhood of Putney. A neighbourhood in South West London, which has a significant population of South Africans living there. So the transition into South African culture felt familiar. Still, the real lessons began when she started dating her South African partner.
One of her first discoveries was the expression “jeepers.” To her, it sounded like something straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode. Yet South Africans use it casually. “Jeepers, bro!”
Then there’s the habit of shortening words in ways that defy grammar rules. Instead of “we are,” South Africans simply say “we.” The same goes for “they are” becoming “they” and “you are” turning into just “you.”
For example: “You coming over tonight?” Grammatically incorrect, perhaps, but perfectly normal in South Africa.
The real comedy, however, came with the phrase “must I.” Early in her relationship, she recalls her boyfriend asking, “Are you going to unload the dishwasher, or must I?” To her ears, it sounds passive-aggressive. But in South African English, “must I” simply means “Do you want me to?” or “Shall I?”, no attitude intended.
It may sound like a whole new dialect, but to locals, it’s just everyday conversation.
Language is more than just words; it’s identity. For South Africans, these phrases may be second nature.
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