The Curious Case of the Expression “Now” in South Africa

By David Raezer

It’s got nothing to do with the accent. You heard them clearly and you most certainly detected the word. But you will often find that “now” seems a long way off in South Africa.

Now

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

Eventually. But very possibly not at all.

The most confusing of the “now” expressions. Why? Because it has got nothing to do with now, meaning right away. In fact, plain-vanilla now is close to “maybe later,” and one thing is for sure: it is not now. And very possibly never.

Just Now

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

Later. It’s on my list.

No doubt, it’s higher priority than an unadorned now, but we are a long way from your intended meaning. Perhaps it’s best equated to: “get in line … I’ve got a number of just nows ahead of you.”

Now Now

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

Soon. But I could get distracted.

This is as urgent as you are going to get in the spectrum of South African nows, but still likely not what you had in mind.

Now Now Now?

But surely, dear reader, you must be thinking: there must be an expression for what I desperately need to convey. Now now now? Sorry. Not part of the lexicon.

But spend enough time in South Africa and you will surely find that the need for hard-line nows fades and a new rhythm emerges. And you might just find yourself thinking: who needs it right now anyway? A just now might be exactly right.

Explore the Subtleties of African Languages Further!

Exploring...

African Slang

In this entertaining exchange from Vanity Fair, Charlize Theron and David Oyelowo teach each other slang words from the Afrikaans (South Africa) and Yoruba (Nigeria, Benin, Togo and part of Ghana) languages. Runtime: 5 minutes.

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate, Approach Guides makes a commission from qualifying purchases.