Yes, it’s that time of year to reveal South Africa’s top 10 Google Search terms for 2025. As ever, the search engine’s top results reveal a fascinating snapshot of what’s captivated the nation in 2025 …
SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP 10 GOOGLE SEARCH TERMS FOR 2025
At number one for South Africa’s top 10 Google Search terms for 2025 is ‘Temu’ of all things. That’s right, the Chinese e-commerce marketplace has certainly captured low-cost South African shoppers’ attention this year. And it appears there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Because not even an investigation by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has taken the Shein off Temu’s online popularity (see what we did there?).
Next up on the list is ‘General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’. Searches surged in July 2025 following his accusations of corruption against senior political and police officials. His visibility was amplified by regular media briefings and the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into allegations of police corruption within the criminal justice system.
WHAT ELSE DID SOUTH AFRICAN’S SEARCH FOR?
There appears to be little rhyme or reason to the remainder of South Africa’s top 10 Google Search terms for 2025. Other than people wanting assistance with AI and cheap airline tickets:
- 3. Earth Day
- 4. Chat GPT free
- 5. Google Gemini
- 6. Unisa Registration
- 7. iPhone 17 Pro Max
- 8. Hangwani Maumela
- 9. FlySafair R11 tickets
- 10. Shaka iLembe
SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP HOW TO AND WHEN IS SEARCHES
Moreover, beyond the primary rankings, Google data also reveals some fascinating ‘How to’ and ‘when is’ searches in South Africa. The most popular being:
- How to vote on Big Brother
- How to log into Hollywoodbets
- When is the G20 summit?
- When is the Budget speech?
Kabelo Makwane, Director for Google South Africa, noted that its year in search continues to highlight what matters most to South Africans. It offers a comprehensive lens into the nation’s values, interests and curiosities throughout 2025.
But what do you think? Are you surprised by those top 10 search terms for 2025? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below …
