SA Word of Year contenders range from light-hearted to stark

Pan South African Language Board announces shortlist for 2026 SA Word of Year and Social Media Word of Year candidates. You’ve got to give it to South Africans for finding the light side of life when the chips are down, but keeping their finger on the pulse. Once a year, the Pan South African Language Board, in association with media research company Focal Points, announces a shortlist of words as candidates for 2026 SA Word of the Year and Social Media Word of the Year. They did so this week. It’s a word, term, expression, or sign that best reflects the passing year in language. Naturally, the Social Media Word of the Year’s shortlist are light-hearted, ranging from TikTok favourite clock it (pointing out what someone is really trying to do or hiding) to nikhona? – meaning “are you around or here?” – and gone kanje (popularised by Amapiano singer Scott Maphuma, which translates to “gone already” or “gone just like that”. Diabolical and abahambe (they must go) and ashwagandha are also contenders. Sadly, the shortlist for Word of the Year is more stark: Madlanga Commission, illegal immigration, gender-based violence, March and March, xenophobia and femicide are all grave reminders of what difficult times we live in. Previous winners have included G20, load shedding, vaccination, lockdown, land expropriation without compensation. We wonder what the next 12 months have in store for us…