“Now Let’s Upgrade”: Mzansi Laughs As Australian Woman Tries SA Slang

• An Australian woman named Tanya Hennessy shared a video of herself using South African slang after she spent a week in the country
• The comedian incorporated popular words and phrases to greet people and describe things she saw around her
• Local members of the online community couldn't help but laugh at Tanya's attempt and suggested other slang words to use

While it's normal to hear South Africans use local slang, it can be quite comical hearing people from other parts of the world attempt our unique way of speaking.

An Australian woman got a few laughs when she uttered a few Mzansi words and phrases she picked up after spending a week in the country.

Aussie accent meets SA slang

Author and digital content creator Tanya Hennessy, who is also known for her comedic material Down Under, uploaded a clip on Facebook incorporating popular local terms into her sentences.

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Familiar utterances like "howzit," "ja," "oh, my word," and "lekker" were used to add flavour to her conversation as she walked around parts of the country.

Watch Tanya's comical video below:

What is slang?

According to the writing assistant software tool Grammarly, slang is an informal language that is either regional or developed from communities or subcultures.

There are a few variations of slang. It can be a clipped version of an existing word (doccie instead of documentary), a combination of two existing words (hangry, which comes from hungry and angry), or give a new meaning to an existing word ('tea' does not only refer to the beverage but also gossip).

"The purpose of slang is to convey a sense of identity and belonging within a culture. It invites playfulness and creativity into our everyday language."

Mzansi laughs at Aussie lady

Hundreds of South African online users rushed to the comment section with laughter after hearing Tanya using the well-known terms, while others joked and suggested other local slang the funny woman could use while communicating.

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Mal Kavian informed Tanya:

"Okay, someone also needs to let you know about 'now now.' In South Africa, when something is happening now now, we know exactly when it's happening without having the specific time for it."

Yvonne Combrink added in the comments:

"We also need an 'ag shame' in there."

Lerico Steenkamp told the online community:

"She needs to be in South Africa longer. We'll have her speaking like us 100%."

Kalyn Van der Vyver complimented the woman, writing:

"You nailed it! South Africa suits you!"

An entertained Isabel Bello Rama commented:

"You’re an honorary citizen."

Ziba Du said to Tanya:

"Now, let’s upgrade to 'shame man' and 'ja ne."

3 Other stories about South African slang

• In another article, Briefly News reported about South Africans who hilariously lashed out at a young teacher using slang while marking an assignment.
• A content creator asked the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT to write a poem about Durban using South African slang, amusing and amazing locals.
• A South African au pair taught an American mother slang used in Mzansi. The mom was a natural and caught on fast with the pronunciation and attitude.

Source: Briefly News