Google has released its 2024 Year in Search (YIS) for South Africa, revealing trends and insights into the collective consciousness of local netizens.
The term “demure”; late musician, Malome Victor; martial artist Dricus du Plessis; the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC); popular music track, “Tshwala Bami”; the movie “Inside Out 2”; and the AFCON lead this year's annual trends on Google Search.
Google’s YIS provides an annual analysis that reveals the top trending lists and spotlights what the world searches to see, learn and do.
According to Google, in SA, this year's results show a heightened interest in entertainment, current affairs, events, sports, celebrities and notable personalities who have passed away.
South Africans were eager to make their mark during the 2024 National Elections in May, as IEC topped the most searched event list. Online searches also revealed a keen interest in the results of the US Elections, which came up second place as the most searched event this year.
From a sporting perspective, AFCON, Euro 2024 and T20 World Cup dominated the sporting events South Africans were interested in. The AFCON was held in Ivory Coast, with Bafana Bafana igniting national pride.
Tshwala Bami, an Amapiano track featuring musicians SNE and EeQue, surpassed 100 million streams within a month after its release, becoming this year’s most searched Amapiano dance tune.
Among celebrities and media personalities who passed away this year, talented and rising star in the South African film industry, Mpho Sebeng, topped the search list for loss. The passing of Liam Payne, Pravin Gordhan and Malome Victor followed in this category as losses that captured the interest of South Africans this year.
After conquering the box office worldwide, “Inside Out 2” soared to the top of South Africa's most searched movies, while “Baby Reindeer” was the most searched TV show.
This year, Google’s YIS has seen the unexpected rise of a seemingly simple word – demure. Once a term often associated with outdated notions of femininity, "demure" has been reclaimed and reimagined for a new generation, it says.
What began as a TikTok trend ignited a broader conversation about individuality, self-expression and challenging societal norms. From fashion runways to social media feeds, the word was everywhere, sparking curiosity and inspiring creativity − the meaning of the word demure is one of this year’s most searched words, according to the YIS data.
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