List of colloquial South African place names

• 150 - Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
• Alex - Alexandra, township to the northeast of Johannesburg
• Arniston - Waenhuiskrans
• Azania - South Africa, commonly used by political activists and journalists, sometimes even in formal reference. During the transition to democracy there was a strong call to have South Africa’s name changed to Azania.
• Berg - Drakensberg mountains, subdivided into the Northern Berg, Central Berg and Southern Berg
• The Fifth - Bloemfontein
• Blerriever - Toekomsrus (meaning "bloody far")
• B.town - Bloemhof
• Border - The Eastern Cape area, near East London. This term also referred to the northern border of South West Africa (now Namibia) in respect of the military operations during the South African Border War.
• "Chatchies" -Manenberg
• Die Bos - Stellenbosch (Also referred to as Eikestad or Stellies in the Afrikaans community.)
• Die Hel - Gamkaskloof
• Durbs, Thekwini, eGagasini - Durban. The term '-gagasi' means 'wave' in Zulu (as in an ocean wave), rendering eGagasini as the place of the wave.
• Deep North - The East Rand (as used in Durban)
• Eastern Province - Eastern Cape
• Eikestad - Stellenbosch (Also referred to as Bubbytown or Stellies in the Afrikaans community.)
• Free State - originally short for Orange Free State, now official name for Free State Province
• Graafies - Graaff Reinet
• The G-Spot, G-Vegas or G-Town - Grahamstown
• Harties - Hartbeespoort; Blown as well as the large reservoir and dam located in a gap (poort) in the Magaliesberg mountains west of Pretoria
• J-Bay - Jeffreys Bay
• Jacaranda City, Jakarandastad - Pretoria, after the large numbers of jacaranda trees in the city.
• Jo'burg, Johburg, Jozi, Joeys, eGoli ,Gauteng Province, Gangsters Paradise Johannesburg
• Kaap, Cape - Cape Town. As in "Ek gaan Kaap toe" (I am going to the Cape). From the Afrikaans name for Cape Town, Kaapstad. May also refer to the wider surrounding area.
• Keurbooms - Keurboomstrand
• King - King William's Town, now Qonce
• Klerkies - Klerksdorp
• Kowie - Port Alfred
• Krugs - Kruger National Park
• KZN - KwaZulu-Natal
• Last town - Christiana
• Lenz - Lenasia
• Maritzburg - Pietermaritzburg
• Maftown - Mahikeng
• Mas Vegas - Masvingo
• Mzansi - South Africa (uMzantsi is Xhosa for 'south'). Invented by journalist/ editor Thami Masemola while working for the now-defunct South African youth publication Y magazine in 1999. Taken from the isiXhosa words 'Mzantsi Africa', meaning 'South Africa' but without the 't', hence the difference.
• Mother City - Cape Town
• Moz - Mozambique
• Nam - Namibia
• PE, Baai - Port Elizabeth. "Ek gaan Baai toe" is Afrikaans for "I'm going to Port Elizabeth". From "Algoabaai" (Algoa Bay). In the north-western corner of South Africa, i.e. Namaqualand. Die Baai would refer to Alexander Bay.
• Plett - Plettenberg Bay
• PLK - Polokwane
• Port - Port Nolloth, one of the two major coastal communities in Namaqualand, the other one being Die Baai which refers to Alexander Bay.
• Potch - Potchefstroom
• Potties - Potgietersrus
• Pret - Pretoria
• PTA - Pretoria
• P-Town - Pretoria
• PWV - Collective term for the three conurbations of Gauteng Province, i.e. Pretoria, Witwatersrand and Vereeniging. Also the original name of Gauteng Province.
• The Rand - Witwatersrand, referring to Johannesburg and all its contiguous towns on the Witwatersrand, located along a linear distance of approximately 80 km in central Gauteng.
• RSA - Republic of South Africa
• Rusty - Rustenburg
• Sheppie, eSayidi - Port Shepstone, a seaside resort town in southern Kwa-Zulu Natal
• Slummies, Slumtown - East London
• Snor City - Pretoria, Snor is Afrikaans for mustache.
• Stellies - Stellenbosch, also referred to as Die Bos or Eikestad in the Afrikaans community.
• TBVC states - Collective term for the homelands Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei under apartheid (now defunct)
• Thaba - Thabazimbi
• Toti, The Deep South or Amanzimtexas - Amanzimtoti, (resort town outside Durban)
• Uptize - Upington
• Vaal - The Gauteng (formerly Transvaal) area around Vereeniging due to the Vaal River in the vicinity
• V-Town - Vereeniging
• Vuilbijl - Vanderbijlpark. Due to the serious air pollution predominantly caused by surrounding big industries. "Vuil" is the Afrikaans word for dirty.
• Waks - Wellington
• Western Province - Western Cape
• Wildtuin - Kruger National Park. "Ons gaan Julie Wildtuin toe" is Afrikaans for "We are visiting the Kruger National Park in July". From the Afrikaans word for game park.
• Woe-woe - Worcester
• Wollies - Wolmaransstad
• Y, Y-town - Kimberley, Northern Cape
• Zim - Zimbabwe (Zimbabweans call South Africa 'South' also 'Downsouth')
• JTown - Jouberton
• Benghazi - Khuma
• Witty - Witbank, Mpumalanga

References