2017 may have been one of South Africa’s most politically and economically action-packed years to date, but many online publishers may be surprised to learn that these are not among Mzanzi’s top five most browsed topics of the year.
As one of Africa’s most widely used web browsers – serving over 250 million users around the world, including 53% of South Africa’s mobile market, Opera Mini is perfectly positioned to use its masses of data on consumer browsing habits to shed light on the topics and content types that captivated South African audiences the most in 2017 – and here’s what we found topping the most-read list.
1. Football
As in Nigeria, Kenya and much of the rest of the continent, football is what South Africans love to browse the most. From the latest fixtures and results to industry news, gossip and scandal, the beautiful game tops the list as South Africa’s most searched topic.
2. Life hacks
If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the past decade, there’s a very good chance that you’ve read a listicle of life hacks – the content category coming in at number two on our list. Fast-living South African audiences, it seems, have a serious soft spot for an interesting DIY project or convenient how-to video.
3. Fashion
With a reputation for leading innovation in fashion on the African continent, it’s no surprise that women’s fashion scoops the number three spot in 2017. A talented population of designers and a rising wave of trend analysts, photographers and fashion bloggers are set to ensure this trend continues well into the future.
4. Health &lifestyle
It’s good to know that South Africans are using the power of the internet to get a little more health conscious as a population – health and lifestyle content ranks at number four of South Africa’s most browsed content in 2017.
5. Music – hip hop
South Africa is fertile ground for a rich, booming music scene, with its hip-hop artists in particular achieving almost god-like status on local social media. Whether it’s a hot new track or one of the blockbuster hip-hop concerts that roll around every year, hip-hop was on every South African’s lips (and smartphones) in 2017.