Web search giant Google has unveiled its annual Zeitgeist search trends for SA. After a year of elections, sporting events, celebrity news and a recession, these results provide insight into what people in the country are concerned about and interested in.
In the political arena, some of the most popular searches included ANC Youth League president, Julius Malema, who pipped Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance and Mvume Dandala of Cope as the third most searched for politician. But Malema still had to make way for his seniors, Jacob Zuma and Nelson Mandela, who led the rankings.
DJ Sbu, from youth radio station YFM, led the 'most searched for celebrity' category. He was followed by socialite Khanyisile Mbau. Benoni-girl, Charlize Theron, was not to be left out, coming a close third in the rankings.
In the sports category, the Super 14 rugby was the most searched for item, followed closely by the Indian Premier League cricket. This was quite an accomplishment, as the event was moved to SA from India at a late stage in the planning process. The Confederations Cup was fourth in the rankings, despite it being a prelude to the 2010 World Cup, following the third-placed Cape Argus cycle race.
This year's Zeitgeist also reflects important South African concerns, such as understanding the impacts of the recession on the local economy. Recession-related keywords such as 'recession jokes' showed not everyone was taking the downturn so seriously.
According to Google, South African consumers have also adapted to the tougher economic times by being on the lookout for bargains. This was reflected in increased searches for second-hand goods on Web sites such as Gumtree and Junkmail Cars.
The Zeitgeist also shows global trends. This year's fastest rising searches show interest in pop culture, with Michael Jackson at the helm, followed by searches for the film New Moon and singer Lady Gaga. Social networking sites and new technologies such as Windows 7 and Torpedo Gratis also scored high rankings. Overall, the 'King of Pop' and Facebook are the fastest rising searches globally.
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