You just can't keep US President Donald Trump out of the meme world for too long. Well, at least him and German chancellor Angela Merkel. On Friday, Merkel's social media team published the image to Instagram, where it received more than 65 000 likes and 4700 comments. From there, it found its way onto Twitter, where users highlighted the indifferent expressions of the world leaders. The scene itself is straight out of a baroque painting. Angela Merkel's office has released this photo taken today at the G7, which tells you a lot about how things went. pic.twitter.com/IXX6K3ayys — David Mack (@davidmackau) June 9,...
Like movies and music, fashion is a cyclical internet culture phenomenon. As the online world influences it, fashion itself fuels sentiment online. And as more netizens focus on their physical attire on a daily basis thanks to the boom of image-heavy social media, trends are often made, or in this case, revived on the internet. The latest example is straight from the 1980s: fanny packs. And no, it doesn't seem to be an ironic Weird Al Yankovic style revival either. Google Trends data notes an uptick in search traffic for these waist-secured utilitarian satchels, spiking massively since the beginning of the year....
From midnight on Wednesday 6 June 2018, the price of a litre of petrol will jump by 82 cents. This will push the total damage per litre to just below R16. Last month, a litre of petrol cost motorists R14.72. But it's not just petrol facing a price spike. Its dirtier cousin diesel is set for an 86 cents/litre increase, and those who rely on paraffin for cooking and warmth will also require more than 80 cents/litre more. At this point, it might be cheaper to fill your tank with soft drink. Understandably, South Africans are keen to vent, mildly panic and offer...
Some world leaders regard immigrants with the utmost disregard, but in Paris this past weekend, a 22-year-old Malian national did something pretty damn incredible. As a toddler hung from a fourth storey balcony just moments from death, 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama leapt from the ground, pulled himself up floor by floor and scaled the balcony railings to save the kid. This sentence doesn't do his efforts justice, so just watch the clip. Les héros ne portent pas de cap. 👏👏 #Paris pic.twitter.com/QrOn3YB4Q7 — •NubiΔΠ• (@Adil__Brown) May 27, 2018 From another angle. Holy shit, this guy is amazing. What a hero. https://t.co/XVWbaULkFp pic.twitter.com/hHnF150XL5 — Hannah Jane Parkinson...
Don't look now folks, but according to the gatekeepers of South African Twitter, the social network just isn't lit anymore. I know. Shocking. As if Monday wasn't bad enough, the hashtag #twitterwaslitbefore began trending around midday, and served to remind everyone that things never stay the same. This, according to some, is thanks to MTN and Vodacom. #TwitterWasLITBefore MTN and Vodacom Had Clapbacks pic.twitter.com/9OUBJKd3Fv — 26 Feb. 90s (@HopewellMlaba) May 14, 2018 #TwitterWasLITBefore MTN started with this free Twitter nonsense. pic.twitter.com/VGgVnPHn3J — Maestro Harry™ (@Haharharry_) May 14, 2018 Those who joined Twitter to become "comedians and savages" were also outed. Tweet-stealers were given special mention by a...
It's 4 May 2018, or if you're an internet nerd or American, May The Fourth. It's a pretty important date for Star Wars fans. But what is supposed to be a celebration of Han Solo, Chewy and the Darthest Vader of them all, some just can't help but remind everyone that Star Trek exists too. Hijacking hashtags like #MayThe4thBeWithYou and #StarWarsinFiveWordsOrLess, Twitter users brought the sass and snark on Friday. I’d rather watch Star Trek #StarWarsInFiveWordsOrLess — Jenny just wanted to use all 50 characters because (@DreadfullyJenny) May 4, 2018 How to offend ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE @startrekcbs @StarTrek @StarTrekRoom @STTimelines @starwars @StarWarsUK #MayTheFourth #MayTheFourthBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/mVarwFXwgJ —...
Social media was last week awash by the #GautengFloods, according to analytics firm ROI Africa's latest report. According to stats siphoned from the web from the previous seven days, the rainfall in the country's smallest province became social media's most talked about event of the past week. Ironically, #DayZero also trended as Cape Town received minimal rainfall. Politics constituted the other share of the chatter, with Julius Malema and his EFF thrust firmly into the spotlight due to Floyd Shivambu's handling of a journalist outside Parliament. "#Malema told the media he is in charge of South Africa and he made several comments about...
Forget avocado. Polony is now the most talked about food on social media in South Africa, this after the likely source of the country's listeriosis crisis was revealed. Listeriosis is a potentially deadly illness caused by the bacterium listeria, which can be found in uncooked and processed animal products. More than 180 people have died in South Africa during the current outbreak. Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi this week suggested that an Enterprise factory in Polokwane, Limpopo was earmarked as ground zero, in addition to a facility in Germiston and a Rainbow Chicken factory in the Free State. This caused a mild panic...
After President Cyril Ramaphosa quoted Hugh Masekela during his SONA 2018 finale, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba likely thought he'd do something similar to rouse the nation. His pick? The admirable Kendrick Lamar. But while the multi-Grammy winner is held in high esteem across the world, it's Gigaba's delivery of "Alright" that Twitter didn't quite enjoy. "We gon' be alright," he quipped, quoting complete with hand whip and before announcing an increase to sin tax. The social network broke soon after. I'm done with this budget speech, did Gigaba just quote Kendrick? 🤣🤣🤣 #BudgetSpeech2018 #Budget2018 — Sakkie Ntloko (@sk_shred) February 21, 2018 That Kendrick quote was...
The good feels are back in South Africa's social and news media spheres according to stats from analytics firm ROI Africa. It suggests that South Africa had just enjoyed one of its more positive weeks in recent memory. The firm's data -- which encompassed the past week ending 18 February -- suggests that Twitter went from its usually extremely nihilistic self to Cloud Cuckoo Land in a matter of hours. Jacob Zuma's resignation last Wednesday, together with Cyril Ramaphosa's rise contributed to more than 55% of local online news, ROIAfrica stated. "On the day of #Zuma’s resignation, 80% of our reporting and social...
Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are record-breaking ice dancers who have wowed the skating world since forming a team in 1997. The pair have won three Olympic gold medals and two silvers -- but, more importantly, they've also won the internet's hearts. Record-breaking ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have endured dating rumours for ages because we all have eyes The thing about Tessa and Scott is that they're also, according to the web and very good science, madly in love and secretly dating. But the 2018 Winter Olympics marks the end of their competitive careers. So, without any promise that they'll ever...
#WeAreNotBaboons went viral Sunday after a video of employees speaking out against racism at a KwaZulu-Natal hotel was published to Twitter. On Saturday, @TahBasil pleaded for journalists to cover a "life and death" story. "Please please. We are a broken people," he continued. Please please. We are a broken people. We have been working under too much racism from the management of our hotel. We are called Monkeys, baboons, useless black people, fucking muntus, women the age of my mother are called bitches and we have been trying to get hold of the owner — Basil (@TahBasil) February 17, 2018 "We have been working...
South Africa's elite policing unit, the Hawks, are currently searching the country for fugitive Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, Rajesh "Tony" Gupta and Duduzane Zuma. Following the fall of Jacob Zuma from the presidency, a number of Gupta associates have been arrested by police. Ajay Gupta is wanted in connection with the Estina Dairy Farm project, but the Hawks just can't seem to find him. "Suspect Ajay Gupta is evading the law, we have begun to hunt him down. He can run but he can't hide," tweeted South Africa's minister of police Fikile Mbalula early Saturday. Suspect Ajay Gupta is evading the law,We...
While the City of Cape Town is using apps, Twitter campaigns and Mmusi Maimane's bucket delegation skills to remind South Africans to save water, the nation's Department of Water and Sanitation is taking a -- ahem -- different approach. "Splash" -- the #SaveWater mascot composed of a water droplet shaped head, no neck, a green-and-gold suit, and a creepy crotch hashtag -- was revealed to the world this week at the DWS's #SaveWater ambassador campaign launch. "The #SaveWater ambassador programme is a multi-sectoral initiative that includes a wide array of partners including Miss Earth SA, Operation SA, Tsogo Sun to ensure...
When journalists spied a certain finance minister Malusi Gigaba playing iPad games during Ramaphosa's big moment yesterday, you just knew social media would light it up. As unkind as it usually is, Twitter was first to poke and prod. But others were more interested in what level Gigaba was tackling. Over on @AdvBarryRoux -- a Barry Roux parody account now known for pulling no punches on the network -- users asked this question, subsequently tagging @mgigaba. Did anyone tag @mgigaba to ask what level was he playing here? — 😂❤🎧🙏91/🖒/✌👌 (@Teboho_8008) February 15, 2018 "Did anyone tag @mgigaba to ask what level was he...
WATCH: dramatic video of Cape Town cash-in-transit heist emerges
Trump, Merkel and other world leaders star in new G7 Summit meme
Upcoming petrol price hike sends South Africans into mild Twitter panic
In graphs: Cape Town’s dam storage jumps by 28% in just 8 weeks
Viral video: 22-year-old ‘Spiderman’ saves dangling child in Paris high-rise rescue
The future of marketing is data-driven, creative, and (most importantly) people-based
Memeburn focuses on everything digital in the emerging markets sphere. More about us here
