Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (S.Afr./W.I.) brother; esp. as pfx to a given name, e.g. Bra Victor.

1869		H.G. Murray ‘Tom Kittle’s Wake’ in D’Costa & Lalla Voices in Exile (1989) 107: Bra, whi side unoo da go?
1954		R. Mais Brother Man (1966) 23: Say what is love? Bra’ Man. [Ibid.] 49: It was common gossip among the neighbours that Bra’ Ambo was jealous of Bra’ Man.
1963		B. Modisane Blame me on Hist. 13: Look, Bra-Bloke, this is money.
1973		M. Dikobe Marabi Dance 73: You’re wasting time, Ou Bra Black Cat.
1974		Casey ‘Kid’ Motsisi ‘Kid Vat en Sit’ Casey and Co. (1978) 56: He has a nipinyana of ‘madolo’ [...] which he buys from Bra Victor at the bottle store.
1979		A. Brink Dry White Season 87: That bra of mine was a real tsotsi, man.
1980		M. Melamu ‘Bad Times, Sad Times’ in Mutloatse Forced Landing 43: Bra B. wouldn’t listen to me.
1989		J. Hobbs Thoughts in a Makeshift Mortuary 159: Don’t be such a mompara, Bra Jake.
1990		R. Malan My Traitor’s Heart (1991) 284: Bra Lawrence just laughed at him.
1996		T.S. Mtshali Weemen in Perkins (1998) 111: Hey Bra Willie what are you eating?
2000		C. Glaser Bo-Tsotsi 138: Two of the original members, Manfred (‘Bra Forker’) and Clifford Mashiloane [...] were willing to talk about their experiences.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 216: The gattas had gaaned the roeker tampon’s bra, so he piemped us. I understood. But I was not going to mang.
2008		Sun. Times (S.Afr.) 27 Jan. 18: Oh, but he was so sweet! We wiill miss Bra Stompie.

2. (S.Afr./US, also brah) an informal term of address, mate, buddy, pal.

1957		C. MacInnes City of Spades (1964) 213: ‘Hello, bra,’ said some voice, and it was Arthur.
1974		V.E. Smith Jones Men 23: I got somethin’ for you brah.
1983		J. Matthews The Park and Other Stories (2nd edn) 48: I stan’ wi’ Jammie. He’s my bra.
1984		(con. 1976) B. Simon ‘Black Dog’ Born in the RSA (1997) 14: I am honoured to be his bra! Ja!
1990		R. Malan My Traitor’s Heart (1991) 274: Where do we really stand in relation to one another, ’bra?
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 147: Hang on, I comin, bra.
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 59: Where ya goin’, brah?
1997–2000		College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Bra (noun) Surfer way of saying bro (short for brother).
1999		Indep. on Sun. mag. 22 Aug. 15: Serious Brah. I don’t like it at all, brah.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex xiv: Few men have friends like you [...] Ja, Ridley and my boeti The Hobbit – not forgetting all the bras and the seriously sexy chicks next door.
2006		G. Pelecanos Night Gardener 130: You want some [i.e. cognac], brah?
2021		T. Swerdlow Straight Dope [ebook] — Look, bra, we’re friends with Mac who works in the barbershop. — Don’t ‘bra’ me motherfucka.

3. an important, influential person, ‘one of the boys’.

1983

cited in J. & W. Branford Dict. S. Afr. Eng. (1991).

4. ‘a Black man who is acknowledged to be particularly streetwise and adept at making the most of urban life, while remaining part of working-class Black society’ (DSAE).

1984		Drum (Johannesburg) Sept. 26: Dave Mokale was what we called a bra. A real mjieta who could swing [DSAE].
1987		(con. 1950s) G. Moloi My Life 67: I also saw the Gay Rubineers under Bra Fats Ngwabeni.