/ 21 December 2012

Googling it: SA’s trending Google searches for 2012

South Africa's Google Zeitgeist has been revealed.
South Africa's Google Zeitgeist has been revealed.

Google has announced its annual Zeitgeist, a look at 2012 through the collective eyes of the world on the web.

Topping the list for overall trending South African searches in 2012 is free classifieds site OLX.

Singer Whitney Houston, who passed away in February this year, claims second place while the dance hit Gangnam Style and athlete Caster Semenya made it to the top ten of the overall trending searches.

Here are the lists:

South Africa Overall Trending Searches 
OLX 

Whitney Houston

Hurricane Sandy

Gangnam Style

Olympics

Velvet Sky

Caster Semenya

Diablo 3

Khanyi Mbau

iPad 3

Khanyi Mbau somehow managed to remain relevant on a list consisting of excelling athletes such as Usain Bolt and the space skydiver Felix Baumgartner. Baumgartner is popularly known for his jump to Earth from a helium balloon in the stratosphere on 14 October 2012. 

He set the altitude record for a manned balloon flight, parachute jump from the highest altitude, and greatest free fall velocity.

South Africa trending: People 
Whitney Houston

Caster Semenya

Khanyi Mbau

Chad le Clos

Usain Bolt

Lance Armstrong

Felix Baumgartner

Brown Dash

April Jones

Michael Clarke Duncan

Golden boy athlete Chad le Clos came second to Semenya in the most searched sports people. Both young stars trumped disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. 

South Africa trending: Sports People
Caster semenya 

Chad le Clos

Usain Bolt

Lance Armstrong

Felix Baumgartner

Corrie Sanders

Thomas Madigage

Robin van Persie

Michael Phelps

John Cena 

South Africa trending: Gadgets and phones 
iPad 3 

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S2

iPad Mini

Nokia N9

iPhone 4S

Nokia Lumia

Blackberry 9360

Galaxy S3

Blackberry 9320

The iPad 3 is the most searched gadget with the Samsung’s galaxy s3 and s2 claiming the second and third positions respectively. 

Apple and Samsung together had the most searched for gadgets for 2012.

South Africa trending: Events 
Hurricane Sandy 

Euro 2012

Olympics 2012

Velvet Sky

Whitney Houston funeral

Mother’s Day 2012

Paralympics 2012

American idol 2012

Wimbledon 2012

Linkin Park South Africa

Overall trending: How to… 
How to kiss 

How to draw

How to love

How to study

How to meditate

How to hack

How to pray

How to crochet

How to knit

How to flirt

South Africa top trending: TV series 
American Idol 2012 

Terra Nova

Revenge

Alcatraz

X Factor

Revenge Season 2

Homeland

Celebrity Apprentice

Survivor Samoa

Master Chef South Africa 

Riaan Cruywagen’s photos made it onto the trending top ten images along with Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and popular boy band One Direction.

South Africa trending: Images 
Lady Gaga 

Funny Pictures

Nicki Minaj

Wedding Dresses

Happy Birthday

One Direction

Justin Bieber

Riaan Cruywagen

Love

Selena Gomez 

* What is Google’s Year-End Zeitgeist? “Zeitgeist” means “the spirit of the times.” At the end of each year, Google celebrates this spirit by revisiting the year's top searches around the world.