'amapondo' originates from the Pondo people, a Bantu ethnic group in South Africa, where 'ama-' is a prefix denoting plural and 'pondo' refers to the people or their currency.

'amapondo' has remained relatively unchanged in its usage and meaning, continuing to represent the traditional currency of the Pondo people.

Initially, it meant 'currency of the Pondo people,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.