Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a chap, a fellow.

1898		E. Glanville ‘Kloof Yarns’ The Empire 15 Oct. 7: Well sonny he went; and bymeby back came the same cart – the same identical cart – with another kerel.
1903		D. Blackburn Burgher Quixote 147: My Burghers are mostly kerels who can’t play cards Rooinek fashion.
1913		C. Pettman Africanderisms 257: Kerel, In familiar conversation this word has the meaning of ‘fellow’ e.g. ‘een slim kerel,’ a smart or sharp fellow.
1962		A. La Guma Walk in the Night (1968) 40: Hang on for me, kerel.

2. a term of address to a man.

1891		B. Mitford Weird of Deadly Hollow – Tale of the Cape Colony 71: ‘To, kerel!’ whispered the Boer suddenly.
1959		H. Bloom Transvaal Episode 102: All right, kerels, back to the station.
1972		‘Rawbone Malong’ Ah Big Yaws? 16: Carol [...] a general term, the English equivalent of which would be ‘chap’ or ‘fellow’ or ‘old man.’ That sounds very chummy, but [...] the word can take on a darker tone, of admonition or threat or even menace: ‘Nar, lukier, oh Carol, doan triumby funny wirth me ay.’.

3. the police.

1990		A. Dangor Z Town Trilogy 63: ‘By kerel you mean police?’ ‘Yes, a private one.’.
2002		Herald Online (S.Afr.) 10 Sept. 🌐 For those not versed with South Africanisms, the dictionary will help to clear things up. Like this unfathomable sentence: ‘I was in the dwang after the kêrels bust me and a chommie with insangu.’ Translated it means: ‘I was in trouble after the police bust a friend and me with cannabis.’.