A year in South African Search: Google’s Trending Searches of 2024

Demure, Malome Victor, Dricus du Plessis, Tshwala Bami, Inside Out 2 and the AFCON lead this year’s annual trends on Search

• What piqued South Africans interest the most this year?
• What were the top searched words?
• Who was the top trending individual over the last 12 months?
• Which movies, TV shows and sporting events were trending the most in the country?

Johannesburg, December 2024 – Google today unveiled the findings of its 2024 Year in Search [YIS] for South Africa, revealing unexpected trends and fascinating insights into the collective consciousness of netizens. 

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 entertainment, current affairs, events, sports, celebrities, and notable personalities who have passed away.

The year 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 Once a term often associated with outdated notions of femininity, “demure” has been reclaimed and reimagined for a new generation. What began as a playful TikTok trend ignited a broader conversation about individuality, self-expression, and challenging societal norms. From fashion runways to social media feeds, the word “demure” was everywhere, sparking curiosity and inspiring creativity – the meaning of the word demure is one of this year’s most searched words, this is according to the 2024 Year in Search data.

Tshwala Bami, a captivating amapiano track featuring S.N.E and EeQue took the music world by storm. Released earlier this year, the song surpassed 100 million streams within a month after  its release, solidifying its position as a global hit and 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 on of Liam Payne and Pravin Gordhan 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 claimed the number one spot for  the most searched TV shows.

While South Africans were eager to make their mark during the 2024 National Elections in May,  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, a biennial T20 cricket tournament dominated sporting events that South Africans were interested in. The AFCON which also topped the list of searches was held in Ivory Coast and saw Bafana Bafana’s impressive run, igniting national pride. 

Below are the full lists of Top Trending Searches by South Africans in 2024: 

For more information on  Google’s Year in Search across the globe visit the Google’s trends site.