Property Jargon in South Africa

In South Africa, formerly part of the British Empire, real estate is referred to as property. So far, nothing unusual - the same is true in all English-speaking countries except the United States and former US territories.

But take a guess what a stand is. A tall thingy to hang your coat, perhaps? A wooden thingy to display fruit for sale?

A stand is LAND. In other countries it is varyingly referred to as a lot, or plot, or parcel. In South Africa, if you want to build a house and need the land for it, you will be in the market for "a stand." You approach the estate agents and ask them if they've got a stand.

The phrase "estate agent," of course, refers to what in the US is called a "real estate broker," "real estate agent," or (if duly accredited) "Realtor." Note that the ommission of the "real" is not a typo - the phrase is "estate agent" as opposed to "real estate agent." The place to find an estate agent is, of course, at the "property agency" - known as a "realty brokerage" in the US.

Now, take another guess. What is a bond? If you answered, "something that ties me and someone else close together," you're not far off the mark.

A bond is a MORTGAGE. Get one of those and you will be bonded to the bank with superglue for a few decades, so I suppose "bond" is as good a term as any.

These are the only major differences. Regular English will get you by for everything else, except perhaps the braai. This refers to a barbecue area, usually made of bricks. In South Africa they love their wild game barbecues, featuring antelopes or elephants or what have you, so the flimsy little grills on wheels just won't do. A braai can refer to a fairly large area. Some South Africans maintain vacation houses just for their braai parties.

So here's what to say when ringing the company: "Hello, I'm looking for an estate agent to help me find a suburban stand suitable for a house with braai, and I'll also need a bond."