Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (S.Afr.) a township playboy.

[1956		‘Mr Drum’ in Drum Apr. 6: Take this spice-and-pepper language known as the Lingo or ‘Die witty van die reely-reely majietas’ (The language of the real McCoy bright-boys) [DSAE]].
1963		L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 126: If he becomes a criminal tsotsi, he is known as a ‘majita’ or a ‘majika’.
1978		M.P. Gwala in Staffrider 1:2 6: Playboy Joe was already at Umgababa, pulling dagga zol with other matjietas [DSAE].
1984		C. Mathiane in Staffrider 6:1 30: The following day was Friday which meant, like most majitas, he had to end the week well by downing a bottle or two with the guys at the joint [DSAE].
1994		The Line 30 July [TV1 script] The situation was a mess until we, the majitas, moved in [DSAE].

2. as a term of address to a black man or youth.

1979		M. Matshoba ‘Glimpse of Slavery’ Call Me Not A Man 36: We’re in for it now, majita.
1979		M. Matshoba Call Me Not a Man 50: I looked at my comrades and said, ‘here we go, majita. Let the hammers pound while the sickles swish.’ [DSAE].
1981		B. Mfenyana in Mutloatse Reconstruction 298: Are you one of those characters that flip, freak or fret everytime they hear another new word like botsotso, devushka, shishkebab or halaal? Well mjita, you’ve got a friend right here.
1987		M. Melamu Children of Twilight 90: Hey, majita, I am digressing.
1990		M. Melamu in Lynx 305: My father and his friend came to a dead stop. The tsotsis looked them over, and the one who appeared to be the leader of the group turned to his companions and said, in the racy jargon of the breed of animal: ‘Majita, it seems we are in for an easy pay-day, of hoe se ek?’ [DSAE].