Johannesburg, 25 October — Farewell to a hip hop icon, Tito Mboweni’s maiden budget speech, and an influencer’s lavish 25th birthday celebration, were amongst the top Google searches in South Africa this week.
While newly-appointed Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, delivered his maiden Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement speech this afternoon, South Africans were dealing with the shocking news of rapper HHP’s untimely death at age 38. “Tito Mboweni” generated 10 000 search queries while “HHP” generated more than 100 000 today.
In other trending search terms over the past week: Worries about the recession and ever-increasing petrol prices did not stop a Cape Town-based influencer from not only selling tickets to her birthday party, but selling them for as high as R15 000 for a 12-seater table at the Saint Nightclub. Twitter, needless to say, had a field day roasting her efforts and, as a result, “Nadia Jaftha” generated more than 10 000 search queries last Thursday.
Following his SABC Morning LIVE interview, recounting his struggles as a businessman and announcement that he needed a cash injection of R5-million into his sock business, Sibusiso Ngwenya’s brand name “Skinny Sbu” generated more than 5 000 search queries on Friday. Meanwhile, an accident that day between a truck and 4 cars on the N1 between Kranskop and Middlefontein in Limpopo, killed 27 people including two children and generated more than 20 000 queries under the search term “N1 accident today”.
Over the weekend, South Africans kept themselves busy with their favourite pastime: sport.
“Chelsea vs Man United”’ drew more than 100 000 search queries on Saturday, and “F1” more than 10 000 on Sunday.
The resumption of the Omotoso trial along with the dramatic turn of events had internet users searching “Omotoso” more than 20 000 times as Judge Mandela Makaula rejected defense lawyer Peter Dauberman’s application for Makaula to recuse himself from the trial on Monday.
WWEsuperstar Romain Reigns announced on Twitter that his battle with leukemia will no longer allow him to continue with his wrestling career. “Romain Reigns” generated more than 20 000 searches on Tuesday, while “Man United vs Juventus” generated more than 100 000 searches.
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