What South Africans wanted to know: Google’s 2023 search trends

Google celebrated 25 years of Search this year, supplying nearly two decades of trends data to draw from and providing valuable insight into a shared curiosity for more information on the interesting, fascinating, weird and wonderful.

The South African results of Google’s 2023 Year in Search trends reveal the terms, people, topics, questions and events that captured the attention of the public over the past 12 months.

Year in Search provides an annual analysis that reveals the top trending lists and spotlights what the world searches to see, learn and do. In South Africa, this year’s results show a heightened interest in celebrities, sporting events, special observed days, technology and notable personalities who have passed on.

Cricket and rugby world cups soared to the top of the most searched sporting events by South Africans, while ‘Springboks’ reigned supreme on the most searched athlete lists. The Rugby World Cup and Inter Miami also captured significant interest, claiming the second and third spots.

Among celebrities and media personalities who passed away this year, rapper, producer and businessman Kiernan Forbes, also known as AKA, topped the search list for loss. Another South African rapper, Constantinos Tsobanoglou, better known as Costa Titch, was the second most searched individual in this category.

After conquering the box office worldwide, Barbie soared to the top of South Africa’s most searched movies and TV shows, followed by the epic biographical thriller film Oppenheimer and the gripping series Shaka Ilembe.

Thabo Bester and media personality and popular DJ Cyan Boujee were the most searched individuals in the country, with both appearing in headlines various times in the past 12 months.

While South Africans were eager to know the dates of upcoming events like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and the Rugby World Cup final, their online searches also revealed a diverse range of interests, including literary comparisons and health concerns.

‘How is poetry different to other writing genres?’ and ‘How are mumps spread?’ are the second and third top general questions that South Africans asked. Interestingly, the most searched general question this year concerned Celine Dion’s well-being.

Below are the full lists of top trending searches by South Africans in 2023:

 Top 10 trending holidays searched

1. When is Father’s Day 2023?
2. When is Mother’s Day in 2023?
3. When is Eid 2023?
4. When is the Rugby World Cup final?
5. When is Easter 2023?
6. When is Ramadan 2023?
7. When are schools opening in 2023?
8. When is Diwali 2023?
9. When is Father’s Day in 2023?
10. When is Good Friday 2023?

Top 10 most searched general questions in 2023

1. How is Celine Dion doing?
2. How is poetry different to other writing genres?
3. How are mumps spread?
4. How is cholera transmitted?
5. How is profit divided between owners/shareholders/investors?
6. How is Derek Watts doing?
7. How is Heritage Day celebrated in South Africa essay?
8. How is Jamie Foxx doing?
9. How is knowledge created?
10. How is Ascension Day celebrated?

Top 10 people searched in 2023

1. Thabo Bester
2. Cyan Boujee
3. Nadia Nakai
4. Dr Nandipha Magudumana
5. Andrew Tate
6. Derick Hougaard
7. Steve Harvey
8. Sim Dope
9. Anele Tembe
10. Tyla

Top 10 movies and TV shows searched in 2023

1. Barbie
2. Oppenheimer
3. Shaka Ilembe
4. John Wick 4
5. Fast X
6. Queen Charlotte Bridgerton
7. The last of us
8. Creed 3
9. Fatal Seduction
10. Kaleidoscope

Top searched loss in 2023

1. AKA
2. Costa Titch
3. Matthew Perry
4. Tina Turner
5. Derek Watts
6. Titanic submarine
7. Zoleka Mandela
8. Mangosuthu Buthelezi
9. Christian Atsu
10. Eusebius McKaiser
11. Olive Barker
12. Angie Oeh

Top 10 most searched athletes in 2023

1. Springboks
2. Siya Kolisi
3. Bongi Mbonambi
4. Faf de Klerk
5. Eben Etzebeth
6. Cheslin Kolbe
7. Ox Nche
8. Hakimi
9. Roger Federer
10. Ronaldo

Top 10 sporting events searched in 2023

1. Cricket World Cup
2. Rugby World Cup
3. Inter Miami
4. Banyana Banyana
5. Kaizer Chiefs vs Mamelodi Sundowns
6. Wimbledon 2023
7. Liverpool vs Man United
8. Al Nassr
9. Netball World Cup
10. Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury

Top searches related to technology in 2023

1. DStv stream
2. iPhone 15
3. Google’s 25th birthday
4. Titanic submarine
5. Samsung 23
6. Samsung A14
7. WhatsApp
8. Threads