What did South Africans search for in 2021? Google reveals top search trends

google trends south africa top searches 2021

Google has released its annual Year in Search results, revealing the top searches for users around the world and in South Africa.

The search lists consist of search terms that had the highest spike in 2021 when compared to the previous year.

As with 2021, the pandemic featured heavily in search topics, along with topics related to it and its effects.

For example, the top trending general search in South Africa was “Sassa status check”. This is as the COVID 19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) of R350 was extended.

The social grant also featured in the top trending “How to” general search. The top search in this category was “How to apply for R350 grant?”. This was followed in second place by “How to register for vaccine?”

The top trending “What is” general searches also featured the pandemic. The top 10 trending questions included “What is state of emergency?”, “What is COVID 19?”, and “What is Ivermectin?”.

Other top trending Google searches in South Africa

But the pandemic wasn’t the only topic on the minds of residents in South Africa.

Sports featured heavily in the top trending searches. Meanwhile, South Africans took time to find out more about topics such as the US withdrawal from Afghanistan to the debut of Netflix’s most popular watched series Squid Game.

And for some people, they just wanted to know how to tie a tie.

You can see some of the top trending lists of searches for South Africa below:

Trending general searches:

  1. Sassa status check
  2. Euro 2020
  3. Premier League
  4. Shona Ferguson
  5. PSL
  6. Pakistan vs South Africa
  7. Election results
  8. Killer Kau
  9. DMX
  10. Wimbledon

Trending “What is” general:

  1. What is state of emergency?
  2. What is covid 19 ?
  3. What is human trafficking?
  4. What is happening in Afghanistan?
  5. What is Ivermectin?
  6. What is global warming?
  7. What is substance abuse?
  8. What is Squid Game?
  9. What is Gender Based Violence?
  10. What is happening in South Africa?

Trending “How to” general:

  1. How to apply for R350 grant?
  2. How to register for vaccine?
  3. How to check matric results online?
  4. How to register to vote online?
  5. How to check Sassa balance?
  6. How to tie a tie?
  7. How to make money online in South Africa?
  8. How to claim UIF online?
  9. How to drink ivermectin for Covid?
  10. How to apply for NSFAS?

You can explore the Year in Search 2021 for yourself on the Google Trends page for South Africa.

Read more: How to see the top Netflix series and films in South Africa (and around the world)

Feature image: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash

Megan Ellis
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