Chisa nyama is a South African term for an outdoor grill or braai — specifically the social gathering built around grilling meat over an open fire.
Chisa nyama is a South African term for an outdoor grill or braai — specifically the social gathering built around grilling meat over an open fire. Translated directly from Zulu and other Nguni languages, it means 'burn the meat,' which is exactly what happens. Chisa nyamas are beloved township institutions, often found at roadside spots or community spaces where people gather to eat, drink, and socialize. It's more than just a barbecue — it's a cultural event, a community hub, and a whole vibe.
We ended up at the chisa nyama down the street, eating grilled lamb and listening to kwaito until midnight.
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Braaivleis is an Afrikaans word for barbecued or grilled meat — the specific term for the meat cooked at a braai, South Africa's beloved outdoor grilling tradition. 'Braai' (shortened from braaivleis) has become the dominant term in South African English, but braaivleis remains the full form, particularly in Afrikaans usage. The braai is deeply culturally embedded in South African life across communities, often functioning as a social institution rather than merely a cooking method.
South African slang for the girlfriend or mistress of a married man — specifically used in township and Black South African communities to describe an extramarital romantic partner. It's a loaded word with real cultural weight: it acknowledges a widespread social phenomenon while carrying a mix of condemnation, gossip, and sometimes dark humor. The term is widely understood across South Africa and appears in music, literature, and everyday conversation as shorthand for a complicated and often painful situation.
(chiefly, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe) A social meeting including the braaing of meat; a cookout.
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(South Africa) A barbecue or braai.
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A South African term describing meat cooked by slowly rotating it over an open fire on a long metal spit — the ultimate expression of braai culture taken up a notch. While a standard braai involves grilling on a grate, spitbraaied implies a whole animal or large cut rotating for hours, basted with flavor and patience. It's the centrepiece of a serious outdoor feast, common at weddings, festivals, and big family gatherings across South Africa. The word carries connotations of celebration, abundance, and skilled fire-craft.