This is what South Africans searched for the most on Google

Google
today, 7 December released its Year
in Search results, which capture all of the information and questions South
Africans sought out in 2022. 

Google’s
Year in Search is an annual analysis that reveals the top trending lists and
spotlights what the world searches to see, learn and do. In a year
characterised by increased load shedding, a war in Ukraine, a football World Cup
and deaths of a number of high profile South Africans, the public turned to
Google for more information. 

For
the second year in a row, the top trending search term in South Africa related
to social grants as South Africans sought to find out more about the R350 SASSA
Social Relief (SRD) grant.

Wordle, the online word game that captured the
world’s attention, was the second most searched term, followed by climate
change. Other top trending searches were related to the war in Ukraine,
load shedding, typhoid fever and monkeypox. 

“The
annual Year in Search results are a good example of Google’s commitment to
organising the world’s information and making it universally accessible and
useful, in action. This year’s results show that Google is a trusted source of
information when South Africans are uncertain, sad, or looking for ways to
learn more or entertain themselves,” says Dr Alistair Mokoena, Country Director
for Google South Africa. 

When
it comes to the people South Africans searched, American rapper Jaden Smith
topped the list, followed in second place by his father Will Smith who was
searched alongside Chris Rock following the slapping incident at the Oscars.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard occupied third and fourth places after their
protracted and public court case. 

It
was a sad year for music in South Africa, with a number of high profile deaths.
Beloved rapper Riky Rick was the most searched loss. South Africans also turned
to Google to find out more following the deaths of musicians Dj Sumbody,
Takeoff and Dj Dimplez.  

Big
Brother Mzansi was the most searched for TV show or movie in South Africa with
the Addams Family adaptation, Wednesday, following in second place. Black
Panther 2 and Wakanda Forever both feature in the top 10 trending searches for
TV shows and movies. 

It
is no secret that South Africa is a sports loving nation and the 2022 Year in
Search results encapsulate this perfectly. Football occupies the top three
searches- with World Cup 2022 fixtures as the top trending sport search,
followed by Afcon and South Africa’s women’s football team Banyana Banyana. The
rest of the top 10 also features searches for tennis (Australian Open), Rugby
(Springboks v All Blacks) and cricket (South Africa v India). 

Curiosity
remained high among citizens, with a variety of questions around climate
change, current affairs and pop culture being searched. Some of these searches
included ‘what is global warming’, ‘what is drought’, ‘who is the new Black
Panther’ and ‘how to check matric results online’. 

Here are the trending searches in 2022: 

Top searched people

1. Jaden Smith

2. Will Smith and Chris Rock

3. Johnny Depp

4. Amber Heard

5. Zeenat Simjee

6. Simon Leviev

7. Andrew Tate

8. Uncle Waffles

9. Cassper Nyovest v Naakmusiq

10. Sonia Booth

Riky Rick was the most searched loss in South Africa.

Son Photo: Supplied

Top searched TV show/movie

1. Big Brother Mzansi

2. Wednesday

3. Stranger Things

4. Tinder Swindler

5. Manifest

6. House of the Dragon

7. Black Panther 2

8. Black Adam

9. Purple Hearts

10. Wakanda Forever

‘Wednesday’, the Addams Family adaptation on Netflix, was the second most searched TV show/movie on Google.

Photo: Netflix

Click here for a full list of the searches.