"Madlanga Commission" is South Africa's word of the year; "clock it" wins online
The Pan South African Language Board also named the South African Sign Language sign for "Oh, I see" its sign of the year.
Elizabeth Wilson
PANM — South Africa's word of the year for 2026 is not a word at all but a name: "Madlanga Commission", the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) announced on 16 October.
PanSALB chose the winners with the media research company Focal Points, which measured how often shortlisted terms appeared in print, broadcast and online media.
The winners
- Word of the Year: "Madlanga Commission", with 47% of coverage across the six shortlisted terms (41,737 clips). The commission was set up on 23 July 2025 to investigate allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and South Africans have followed its hearings closely. The runners-up were "Gender-Based Violence" (15%) and "Illegal Immigration" (12%); "March and March" was also shortlisted.
- Social media word of the year: "Clock it", with 85% of coverage among seven shortlisted expressions, ahead of "Abahambe", "Nikhona?", "Diabolical" and "Gone Kanje". People use it to show strong agreement, recognise someone's insight or call out a hidden truth. PanSALB says it is thought to come from the Black LGBTQ+ ballroom and drag scene of New York in the mid-to-late 20th century.
- South African Sign Language sign of the year: "Oh, I see", chosen over the signs for "obligation" and "suspect" by PanSALB's National Language Body for South African Sign Language.
PanSALB said the Madlanga Commission had also put interpreters in the spotlight, showing how hard it is to interpret high-stakes legal proceedings and why people must be able to get justice in their own languages.
Source: Pan South African Language Board, 16 October 2026.
