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In 2024, South Africans were particularly eager to search for information on major events, sports, celebrities and significant news stories.
Google’s ‘Year in Search’ report reveals the country’s top trending searches, reflecting a year filled with global and local developments.
One of the most notable searches was ‘IEC’ as South Africans cast their votes in the national elections in May. The term topped the list of most searched news events, followed closely by other major stories such as the ‘US Elections,’ the ‘George building collapse,’ and the ‘Dricus du Plessis fight.’ Other significant news events included the ‘Two-Pot system’ change, ‘ANC coalition,’ the ‘Eastern Cape floods,’ and the recall of ‘Peanut butter.’
When it came to notable figures, the late actor Mpho Sebeng was the most searched name, reflecting the country’s mourning over his passing. Other prominent figures on the list included former One Direction member Liam Payne, South African icons Pravin Gordhan and Connie Chiume, and former finance minister Tito Mboweni. Other individuals such as Zanele Mbokazi, Markus Jooste, Aletta Bezuidenhout, Dudu Myeni and Solly Moholo were also on the top 10 list of people who passed away in 2024.
Dricus du Plessis, South Africa’s MMA fighter, was the most searched athlete in the country, followed by high-profile names like Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, who faced off in a much-anticipated boxing match. Other athletes on the list included Lamine Yamal, Ronwen Williams, Akani Simbine, Nico Williams, Christian Horner, Riyad Mahrez, Rhulani Mokwena and Tatjana Smith.
In the world of movies, South Africans were most interested in Inside Out 2, which topped the movie search list. Other popular films included Bad Boys 4, Fool Me Once, Movie Box, Deadpool, Damsel, Divorce in Black, Shogun, Beekeeper and Road House.
Television series also sparked a lot of interest, with Baby Reindeerleading the list of most searched TV shows. Other popular searches included Griselda Blanco, Beauty in Black and the Menendez brothers, the subjects of a new Netflix series and documentary. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw also attracted significant search traffic, ranking fifth. Other searched TV-related terms included Siphesihle Mokoena, Ronnie Nyakale, The Crow, HBO’s House of the Dragon, and MultiChoice’s streaming platform Showmax. M-Net’s Big Brother on Mzansi Magic rounded out the top 10.
Music searches were dominated by Malome Vector, who topped the music list, followed by Shebeshxt and Chris Brown, who caused a stir with the announcement of his South African tour. Other notable names included P Diddy, Tshwala Bami, Kabza Chant, Donald (not Trump!), Imithandazo and Ntate Stunna. Tyla, who achieved significant success in the American market in 2024, was the fourth most searched musical artist.
In the world of sports, searches were driven by the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which saw Bafana Bafana perform admirably. Other trending sports events included Euro 2024, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Olympics, the Betway Premiership, COPA America, and the Australian Open 2024. The list also included Cape Verde and Imane Khelif in 10th place.
The overall top 10 searches for 2024 showed South Africa’s diverse interests. The most searched terms included AFCON, IEC, Alexandra Forbes, the 2024 Olympics, the US election results, the meaning of ‘demure,’ NSFAS applications for 2025, matric results for 2024, the disappearance of Joslin Smith, and the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) policy.
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First published by Cape Town ETC
