Search engine Google has released 2019 top trending searches, giving an insight into what were the most-searched topics in South Africa this year.
In the top trending political figures and parties category, South Africans were surprisingly more curious about non-South Africans.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leads the top 10 list in this category, with the Western Cape province accounting for the most interest.
Baleka Mbete’s Al Jazeera interview
Zimbabwean Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga came second. He drew the most interest from Gauteng and Limpopo provinces.
Former Speaker of National Assembly Baleka Mbete is the top South African political figure in the list at third position.
Searches about Mbete peaked in October, around the same time she participated in a panel discussion on the Al Jazeera TV news channel.
South Africans on social media labeled some of her inputs as “embarrassing.” For instance, she dismissed a World Bank research finding that South Africa is an unequal society, saying the Bank was not God.
Ramaphosa only active SA politician in top 10
The late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who passed away in September, is fifth, while Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is seventh.
The only active political figure in the top 10 list is President Cyril Ramaphosa at number eight.
Elijah Cummings, the late US civil rights advocate who passed away in October, was the 10th most-searched political figure on Google in South Africa.
With regard to political parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters was the fifth most-searched.
It was followed by the African National Congress (sixth) and the Democratic Alliance (ninth). View the full list below:
Top trending political figures and parties
1) Boris Johnson
2) Constantino Chiwenga
3) Baleka Mbete
4) Robert Mugabe
5) Economic Freedom Fighters
6) African National Congress
7) Nelson Chamisa
8) Cyril Ramaphosa
9) Democratic Alliance
10) Elijah Cummings