As the world keeps moving at a rapid pace, it’s no surprise that South Africans turned to Google to keep up with the latest news and events in March. From politics and social issues to science and technology, here’s a breakdown of what kept South Africans curious this month.
Starting with technology, it’s clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is still on everyone’s minds. In fact, the top trending question in March was “what is artificial intelligence?” This highlights the growing interest in AI as it becomes more prevalent in our daily lives.
International Women’s Day was also a big topic of interest, with South Africans searching for more information on this day of celebration. Google celebrated the occasion with a special doodle and announced 16 African women-led startups that would take part in the Google for Startups Accelerator programme.
As South Africans continue to face economic challenges, they turned to Google to answer some serious questions, such as “what is inflation?” and “what is the most direct way to alleviate poverty in South Africa?” These queries reflect the growing concern around economic issues in the country.
Climate change also remained a hot topic of discussion, with “what is climate change?” ranking as the sixth trending question in March. This suggests that South Africans are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of climate change and are seeking information to better understand the issue.
On the social front, South Africans were gripped by the story of Thabo Bester, who became known as the Facebook Rapist back in 2011. He featured in both the top trending questions and terms list, as it was revealed that he faked his own death to escape from prison and is currently on the run.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new cabinet earlier this month, South Africans turned to Google to find out who the newly appointed Minister of Electricity was. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa stepped into the brand new cabinet post on March 6th.
South Africans also mourned the deaths of beloved musicians, rapper Costa Titch, who died on 11 March after collapsing on stage, and Jazz great, Gloria Bosman who died on 14 March after a short illness. Both feature in the top 10 trending search terms for the month.
Finally, on the sports front, South Africans were following the West Indies vs South Africa cricket tour, which ran throughout the month of March, featuring tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 matches.
These search trends reveal that South Africans are actively engaging with current events and seeking out information to stay informed. From technology and economics to social issues and sports, Google remains a valuable resource for those looking to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events.
| Top searched questions | Top searched terms |
|---|---|
| What is Chatgpt? Who is Thabo Bester? Who is the Minister of finance? Who is Nhlanhla Lux? What is the most direct way to alleviate poverty in South Africa? What is climate change? Who is the minister of electricity? What is inflation? What is human rights day? | Costa Titch International women’s day National shutdown Thabo Bester West Indies vs South Africa Nhlanhla Lux Gloria Bosman Riana Pretorius Katlego Danke Terry Pheto |