bonsella

English

Alternative forms

• bansela

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans bonsela, from Xhosa bansela meaning "showing thanks with a gift", related to Zulu umbhanselo a "tip".

Noun

bonsella (plural bonsellas)

1. (South Africa) In a transaction, something extra on the side.
   • 2002 September 9, Peroshni Govender, “Hau, my china, it's bakgat”, in Independent Online‎^[2], archived from the original on 29 March 2018:

     A lekker dictionary containing all the bakgat South African words has hit the bookstores. The collection of about 1,500 local words is a bonsella published in the latest edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, "the ultimate authority on South African English".

2. (South Africa) A tip or gratuity.
3. (South Africa) A handout.
4. (South Africa) A bribe.