Teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber trumped the Fifa 2010 Soccer World Cup as the most popular South African Google search topic for the year.
However, the highly-anticipated soccer spectacle ranked sixth in the top news searches for 2010, while the national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, was the top World Cup-related search.
The vuvuzela was the rising star of the football tournament, with the most searches for the instrument originating from Kwa-Zulu Natal, followed by Gauteng and the Western Cape. Searches focused on pictures of the vuvuzela, mp3 downloads of vuvuzela noises and vuvuzela manufacturers.
The overall top 10 search terms, however, saw entertainment icons trump the Soccer World Cup as the most searched items this year.
Bieber topped the list of fastest rising people searches this year, with Afrikaans “zef” rapper Jack Parrow coming in at number three. SA's latest rap-rave hotshots, Die Antwoord, also proved popular.
Music is clearly more important than politics, as Parrow is placed ahead of ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who claims the number six spot. Reality TV queen Kim Kardashian and controversial rap artist Eminem are placed seventh and ninth, respectively.
Malema also features on the list of fastest rising politician searches at pole position, followed by perennial favourites Nelson Mandela and President Jacob Zuma.
The devastating earthquake in Haiti dominated world headlines earlier this year, as well as Internet news searches. “Haiti” tops the list of fastest rising news searches for 2010, followed by another appearance by Julius Malema, “earthquake”, “Bafana” and “Nelson Mandela”.
Increasingly, South Africans are turning to their phones to browse the Internet and, as a result, Facebook and Mxit top the list of mobile searches, along with song lyrics and games.
Fastest rising searches, SA, 2010
1. Justin Bieber
2. Nicki Minaj
3. Toptv
4. Locnville
5. Die Antwoord
6. Yahoo sign in
7. Powerball results
8. News24.com South Africa
9. Moshi monsters
10. Afrihost
Fastest rising World Cup searches, SA, 2010
1 Bafana Bafana squad
2. Brazil soccer team
3. Flags of countries
4. Park and ride
5. Shakira Waka Waka
6. World Cup octopus
7. World Cup concert
8. Fan parks
9. World Cup flags
10. World Cup songs
Fastest rising searches, people, SA, 2010
1. Justin Bieber
2. Nicki Minaj
3. Jack Parrow
4. Drake
5. Julius Malema
6. Shakira
7. Kim Kardashian
8. Christiano Ronaldo
9. Eminem
10. Lil Wayne
Fastest rising politician searches, SA, 2010
1. Julius Malema
2. Nelson Mandela
3. Jacob Zuma
4. Thabo Mbeki
5. Helen Zille
6. Fikile Mbalula
7. Patricia de Lille
8. Siyabonga Cwele
9. Nathi Mthethwa
10. Siphiwe Nyanda
Fastest rising news searches, SA, 2010
1. Haiti
2. Malema Julius
3. Earthquake
4. Bafana
5. Nelson Mandela
6. World Cup
7. Cape Town
8. Soccer
9. Zuma
10. Kaizer Chiefs
Related story:
World Cup soars in Google searches
Share