Discover Contemporary Shona Slang
A community-driven dictionary of Zimbabwean street lingo and ghetto speak
All Words(365 words)
Expired or nearly stale egg
Originated in Southley Park and Hopley Farm Settlement, Harare, low-income settlements on the city’s southern edge. When Irvine’s sent out a tractor to dump eggs deemed unfit for sale, a crew from the community would follow it and collect the eggs before they were disposed of. Those eggs became known as olato.
"Usadya zai iroro, iolato."
"Don’t eat that egg, it’s gone off."
Mate, dude, bro
A friendly and respectful way to address a mate, mostly used between guys. It comes from baba (father), with the chi- prefix making it respectful, playful and familiar.
"Chibaba, madii? Tisangane tonaz mangwana."
"Bro, how's it going? Let's meet in town tomorrow."
An illegal activity, hustle, shady deal
Often used as kuita bororo (to do a dodgy deal or hustle). It can describe anything from small-time dealing to fraud. It’s usually said knowingly, with a hint that everyone knows the money isn’t clean.
"Jagwa iroro rakatengwa nemari yebororo"
"That car was bought with money from a shady deal"
A woman's buttocks or curves
Popularised by Zimdancehall artist Silent Killer through his track Mulundukwa
"Jean raanga akapfeka raibata zvekuti, mulundukwa wese pajekerere"
"She wore tight jeans and her curves were on full display."
Money; wealth; cash - living large and unbothered
Mudododo = mapfura (marula fruit) a sweet, squeezed for a treat or cooking oil, per Sugar Sugar's uncle Sekuru Kelvin Mutero. His 2026 hit turned it into a metaphor for wealth ("ndodya mudododo" = feasting on abundance), like "dough" in English. Became general slang for money:
- kurya mudododo enjoy your money
- kuryiwa mudododo stressed by money problems
"Ndorye (ndodye) mudododo, hapana anondinetsa"
"I'm just enjoying my money now, nobody's bothering me"
Used as a cheeky compliment or sexual innuendo to say someone has an impressive chest/bust. In context, it implies “her front is loaded” or “her boobs are amazing.”
Kumberi kunehasha is a suggestive Shona slang phrase used to describe someone with an impressive chest or bust. Literally, it means “the front is fierce,” but in slang usage it usually carries a sexual or flirtatious innuendo.
The phrase is informal and can sound objectifying, so it is mostly used in casual adult banter rather than polite conversation.
"Wangu, pandakamuona pekutanga ndakangoti kumberi kunehasha"
"Mate, when I saw her first time I just said what an impressive chest"
Police; the fuzz; poh-poh. Often said when discretion is advised and lights are… optional.
(RIZ-poh) - noun, law-enforcement slang. Clever wordplay: porisi (police) spelled backwards → rizpo. Same meaning, lower profile. Register & nuance: street-smart, cautionary. Usually dropped as a warning rather than a label, think "eyes open."
Close cousins: ngonjo, Babylon, port/pot, bhoma. Opposite energy: safe, bho
"Sungai muchichecker coast babamunini, rizpo rekunoku havaridze siren"
"Mate, always check the coast when you roll the blunt because police here blast through without warning (sirens)"
Enjoyment; having a blast; living it up
(fa-DAH-yah) - noun/verb, vibes slang. Register & nuance: Urban, playful, aspirational. Can be celebratory ("we're fadaya tonight") or slightly salty when said from the sidelines ("they're fadaya while we hustle").
Origins (folk etymology): likely evolved from fara ("to enjoy"), with fadaya acting as an intensified, leveled-up version, more than enjoying, it's enjoying loudly.
"Tinokuwonayi hedu vamwe venyu muchifadaya isu tichi hustla"
"We can see some of you having a blast whilst we are on the grind hustling"
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About Zimbabwean street lingo
Shona slang, also called street lingo, ghetto speak or ghetto talk, is the everyday language of Zimbabwe's townships. Ghetto youths in Harare, Chitungwiza and beyond keep inventing new words, mixing Shona with English, flipping words backwards and coining code words for things best not said out loud. Much of it spreads through Zimdancehall lyrics, kombi rides and WhatsApp groups long before it reaches any textbook.
shonaslang collects these words with their meanings, usage examples and pronunciations, written by the people who use them. Browse words A-Z, read the blog or add a word you know.