With the rapid development of social media culture, it's no secret that generational language gaps are widening.
This Heritage Month, we discovered how well everyday South Africans understand the viral internet slang dominating Gen Z and Gen Alpha conversations.
A study conducted by researchers at Unscramblerer.com explores South Africa's digital slang to see how internet culture shapes regional language trends. It highlights how viral words function as social tools that foster community and reinforce group identity.
Methodology
- Data source: Researchers analysed search queries related to slang terms using Google Trends search data.
- Timeframe: Data was collected and evaluated for the period covering January 1, 2026, to August 25, 2026.
- Scope and Parameters: The analysis focused on search terms associated with slang word definitions and meanings across South Africa.
- Metrics and Segmentation: Findings were ranked by average estimated monthly search volumes nationally and segmented by top regional search interest across South Africa's provinces.
"Slang may look like a collection of throwaway internet jokes, but it is doing something much more interesting," said Randoh Sallihall, a spokesperson for Unscramblerer.com
"Using slang is a social signal that helps people navigate identity and belong to a community. Words spread like wildfire on TikTok and gaming chats, but the psychological need behind them remains the same: people want to understand one another and belong."
According to search data from Google for 2026, the country's top searched slang terms include:
- 67 - has no fixed literary meaning; its absurdity is part of the joke, making it a prime example of "brainrot" internet humour where the randomness itself becomes funny. Kids and teens scream and chant it, often paired with exaggerated hand gestures.
- Cap/No Cap - a lie, a fake claim, or an exaggeration. Whereas no cap means the opposite: I'm telling the truth, seriously, no lie.
- Simp - show excessive devotion to or longing for someone or something.
- Aura/aura points/aura farming - a person's cool factor, swagger, or presence. Aura points are essentially coolness points that you can gain or lose by doing cool or cringe-worthy actions. Aura farming refers to a behaviour (often referencing anime characters) where a person does something for the sake of looking cool.
- Sigma - refers to an independent, self-reliant person who operates outside traditional social hierarchies, often described as a "lone wolf".
- Mogging - outclassing someone else by appearing more attractive, skillful, or successful.
- Gooning - primarily used in certain online communities to describe a prolonged session of self-stimulation. The term has evolved to casually refer to becoming overly obsessed with something.
- Big back - refers to someone with a large physique. Someone who is seen as gluttonous or out of shape. It's less about literal size and more about poking fun at behaviour.
- Clock it - agreeing with a sharp observation. Calling something out. Stating an unspoken truth.
- Rage bait - online content created on purpose to make people angry. The aim is to provoke angry responses and engagement.
- Glazing - praising someone excessively and insincerely (sucking up).
- Chopped - this term has become a synonym for something that is ugly, undesirable, or unattractive. Looking very rough.
- Crash out - losing total emotional control and throwing a major tantrum. An extreme and reckless destructive outburst. A synonym for snapping or freaking out.
- Larping, larper - someone who pretends to be something they are not. A synonym for poser, fraud, and try-hard.
- Bussin - extremely good, excellent, or delicious.
- Cuh - a fun way to address a close friend. Similar to bro or dude.
- Maxxing - to maximise and optimise. Go all in on improving a specific part of your life. Doing something to an extreme and obsessive degree. This slang word has become a flexible suffix you can add to any noun, for example looksmaxxing.
- Mandem -a group of close male friends. Your crew.
- Oomf - short for "one of my followers" or "one of my friends".
- Bird - someone acting foolishly in relationships (like taking back an unfaithful partner). Lacks common sense, has low standards, and stays with a man who disrespects her.
These words and definitions were provided by Unscramblerer.com. The definitions are contextual and usage-based explanations.
The most searched word definition by region:
- Eastern Cape: Simp
- Free State: Rage bait
- Gauteng: Mogging
- KwaZulu-Natal: Clock it
- Limpopo: Larping
- Mpumalanga: Aura
- Northern Cape: 67
- Western Cape: Aura
Cape Town Street Interviews
We asked pedestrians across Cape Town to define five randomly selected terms: aura, clock it, rage bait, crash out, and chopped. These responses are illustrative, and 5 people were interviewed.
"Doing good - awesome stuff," answered a woman from Gen X when asked to define clock it.
"Aura is what you say without speaking," said a millennial man.
"Rage bait is trying to get someone angry while egging them on," said a Gen Z boy.
When asked to define chopped, a Gen Z girl answered, "Ugly. Eugh," she said.