Featured
News fatigue shifts Google searches in SA
Google search trends in South Africa reveal a startling insight into news appetite, writes BRYAN TURNER.
The big searches of the year no longer track the biggest news stories of the year, suggesting a strong dose of news fatigue among South Africans.
“People ask, why are the Guptas not on the list of Google’s top searches?, says Mich Atagana, head of communications and public affairs at Google South Africa, “The Guptas are not on the list because South Africans are not actually that interested. South Africans are looking for things they don’t know. From a Gupta point of view, we’ve been exhausted by the news and we know exactly what is going on.”
Google South Africa announced the results of its 2018 Year in Search, offering a unique perspective on the year’s major moments.
“Four years ago, there were almost no South Africans on the personalities list,” says Atagana. “Over the years, South Africans have gotten more interested in South Africa, in searching on Google.”
That isn’t to say that international searches – like Meghan Markle – are not heavily searched by South Africans. But they feature lower down on the lists.
From the World Cup to listeriosis, Zuma and Global Citizen, South Africans use search to find the things they really need to know.
These are the main trends revealed by Google this week:
Top trending South African searches
- World Cup fixtures
- Load shedding
- Global Citizen
- Zuma
- Winnie Mandela
- HHP
- Listeriosis
- Black Panther
- Meghan Markle
- Mac Miller
Trending personalities
- Jacob Zuma
- Cyril Ramaphosa
- Sbahle Mpisane
- Kevin Anderson
- Malusi Gigaba
- Ashwin Willemse
- Patrice Motsepe
- Cheryl Zondi
- Shamila Batohi
- Mlindo the Vocalist
Top Questions
- How did Avicii die?
- How old is Pharrell Williams?
- What is listeriosis?
- What is black data?
- How old is Prince Harry?
- How much are Global Citizen tickets?
- How to get pregnant?
- What time is the royal wedding?
- What happened to HHP?
- How old is Meghan Markle?
Top ‘near me’ searches
- Jobs near me
- Nandos near me
- Dischem near me
- McDonalds near me
- Guest house near me
- Postnet near me
- Steers near me
- Spar near me
- Debonairs near me
- Spur near me
Top women
- Winnie Mandela
- Meghan Markle
- Sbahle Mpisane
- Aretha Franklin
- Khloe Kardashian
- Sophie Ndaba
- Cheryl Zondi
- Demi Lovato
- Lerato Sengadi
- Siam Lee
The Year In Search 2018 minisite can be found here.
