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No Guptas, no state capture in Google’s 2017 top 10 list of searches

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Dumi Masilela was South Africa's top trending search personality and top search term. Picture: Muhammad Hussain
Dumi Masilela was South Africa's top trending search personality and top search term. Picture: Muhammad Hussain

South Africa’s infamous family the Guptas as well as South Africa’s word of the year, “state capture”, did not feature in Google’s top 10 list trending searches or personalities.

Google South Africa released six lists of trending searches over the last 12 months. Topping both the trending search and personalities list was South African actor and football star Dumi Masilela, who was shot down on August 3 in an attempted hijacking.

Seven of the top 10 list of trending personalities were people who had died this year. Mich Atagana, head of communications and public affairs at Google SA, says that when we lose someone there is a spike in searches for that personality and that is no different this year. This is one of the reasons why there were no South African politicians on the top 10 lists.

“It doesn’t mean that there are no politicians on the list but that politicians didn’t make the top ten. We see this a lot when we lose someone in the year.”

2017 trending personalities
1. Dumi Masilela
2. Joe Mafela
3. Joost van der Westhuizen
4. Zodwa Wabantu
5. Mandla Hlatshwayo
6. Lundi Tyamara
7. Simphiwe Ngema
8. Grace Mugabe 
9. Hugh Hefner
10. Chester Bennington

What really surprised Google with the South African data was the number of locally searched terms or news events that dominated the lists compared with previous years.

“This is really telling of the society in that not only are more people coming online but that South Africans are generally interested in South Africa and their surrounds,” Atagana said.

A new list added this year tracked what services or products South Africans searched for that were close to them. It revealed that South Africans searched for medically related services, specifically pharmacies and dentists, which topped the list. Rather ironically in third place was KFC, the fast-food ... actually, clearly you all know what that is.

“It’s really fascinating because more than ever South Africans want information right now. They want business to meet them in the moment,” Atagana said.

2017 top ‘near me’ searches
1. Pharmacy near me
2. Dentist near me
3. KFC near me
4. Jobs hiring near me
5. Hardware store near me
6. Gynaecologist near me
7. Printing shops near me
8. Steers near me
9. Sushi near me
10. Doctors near me

There is a difference between trending and top searches. Atagana described trending searches as “‘hot’ topics of the year. These are not necessarily the overall of what South Africans have ever searched or even ever searched this year, it was what was really, really ‘hot’ and surpassed everything in their ‘trendiness’ this year.”

So something like state capture or the Guptas might have got the nation talking, writing and debating but those popular questions or topics are not what people actually ask Google. Rather the list shows what was the most popular in the moment.

2017 top trending SA searches
1. Dumi Masilela
2. Zimbabwe
3. Cyclone Dineo
4. Joe Mafela
5. Karabo Mokoena
6. Joost van der Westhuizen
7. Black Friday
8. Mayweather vs McGregor fight
9. Fast & Furious 8
10. Hurricane Irma

So what is the top trending question in South Africa? “What is Dineo?” topped that list as many people tried to find out about the tropical hurricane that hit neighbouring Mozambique in February.

One question that stood out was “What role can the private sector play in poverty alleviation”. These searches spiked in late August when Stats SA revealed that South Africa could lose the battle against poverty.

If Google is right about the lists being an eye into the minds of South Africans, then at the very least we can be hopeful about the caring nature of our compatriots.

For the full list of Google's top trending searches click here

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