The Zulu word Shosholoza means go forward or make way for the next man.

The lyrics of the song vary, as do the transcriptions. Here is one example: : Shosholoza : Ku lezontaba : Stimela siphum' eSouth Africa : Wen' uyabaleka : Wen' uyabaleka : Ku lezontaba : Stimela siphum' eSouth Africa A rough translation: : Move fast : on those mountains : train from South Africa. : You are running away : on those mountains : train from South Africa. The original version has the country name Rhodesia instead of South Africa, since this song was sung by migrant labourers from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) travelling on the train down to the mines in the Transvaal.