‘Tsek' goes global: UK TV star's posh take on iconic SA slang charms fans

News24

08-05-2025

The South African term 'Tsek' recently gained international attention via Tom Read Wilson's social media series, loved for its humour and cultural insight.
Wilson's posh presentation of 'Tsek' likened its intensity to a 'red wine reduction,' resonating with South Africans and his global audience.
The video, featuring relatable anecdotes, amassed over 275 000 views, with fans praising Wilson's pronunciation and exploration of South African slang.
If there's one word familiar to nearly every South African, regardless of race or background, it has to be ' Tsek '.
This iconic term is now making waves internationally, thanks to its recent feature on UK TV personality Tom Read Wilson's popular social media series, 'Phrase of the Day.'
Wilson, celebrated for his charming and humorous videos, recently introduced his nearly 800 000 followers to this uniquely South African word.
Describing it as 'delicious,' he explained the word's meaning: simply, 'go away.'
' Tsek is a contraction of the Afrikaans word ' Voetsek,' which… today really means 'go away,' but South African chums have explained to me that by the time it's boiled down to Tsek, you have to think of it as kind of a red wine reduction,' he said in the viral Instagram video.
In his distinctively posh style, Wilson further elaborated on how the shortened version of the term adds intensity and impact.
'As it reduces, its flavour intensifies. The 'go away' of 'V oetsek' becomes approximately the 'F off' of Tsek,' he explained.
'If you are in Durban, you might hear something like this: 'I've compiled a Tsek list – waking up in the night, prejudice of all kinds, and pineapple… Tsek!' he said, wrapping up the video with flair.
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A post shared by Tom Read Wilson (@tomreadwilson)
A very posh 'Tsek'
Wilson's video instantly became a hit, amassing over 275 000 views and generating both laughs and applause from his audience, especially South Africans who commended his pronunciation of the word—with a British twist.
'Poshest ' T sek ' I've ever heard,' commented comedy content creator Devon Broughton. Another South African follower expressed admiration and said, 'A red wine reduction! We love you, Tom.'
Curiously, South Africans also took to the comment section to highlight the word's day-to-day usefulness, particularly when dealing with dogs.
'All the dogs in South Africa understand the meaning of Voetsek,' joked one Instagram user.
Another user, Sam Peterson, added, 'Born and bred South African and you are hilarious! ' Voetsek ' and ' Tsek '… particularly when dogs are biting at your heels.'
A South African at heart
Wilson's exploration of Tsek has clearly struck a chord with South Africans. However, this isn't his first dive into the world of uniquely South African expressions.
Last year, the TV personality explored local slang in his series, decoding various phrases and swear words. These included expressions like 'Don't tune me grief,' which loosely translates to 'Don't give me a tough time,' and the ever-popular South Africanism, 'Don't be a p#*s, be lekker.'
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A post shared by Tom Read Wilson (@tomreadwilson)
Expanding on this, Wilson delved into the versatility of the word lekker.
'It comes from the Dutch-Afrikaans meaning tasty,' he said, 'but has evolved to mean everything from delicious to pleasant, nice, and good.'
He also touched on the word *p#s, explaining, 'It's a repurposing of the female genitalia as an insult, but as I understand it, it's not as explosive as the C-bomb. Closer, I think, to 'twat.''
The result? Hysterical comments and heartfelt appreciation from his South African followers.
'Never heard *p#s pronounced so poshly. Don't be kak, be lekker,' said one fan.
Another follower wrote, 'This is hilarious! I'm South African, and never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd hear those words coming out of your un-irksome mouth! 10/10 for pronunciation.'