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Elections 2019: What South Africans are Googling this week

Analysing Google search trends is a fantastic way to see what’s on the hearts and minds of South Africans, especially in the weeks leading up to the election.

by Cheryl Kahla

04-04-2019 18:06

in News

Photo: Pexels

Google processes more than 40 000 search queries every second. This translates to more than a billion searches per day and a whopping 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.

This week’s search trends show that South Africans are mainly concern with three political parties – The African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

The Top 10 questions on elections in South Africa this week

Who will win the 2019 elections?

Sorry, we can’t help with this one.

When is election day 2019?

8 May 2019

Will ANC win 2019 elections?

We wish we could predict the future, but alas, here we are wondering, just like you.

Is election day a holiday in South Africa?

Yes, President Cyril Ramaphosa said it shall be so.

Will EFF win 2019 elections?

We really can’t predict the future.

How many parties are there in South Africa?

There are 606 registered parties in total, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Out of those, 48 parties are expected to contest the national elections.

When did South Africa hold its first democratic elections?

On 27 April 1994, also known as Freedom Day.

Will DA win 2019 elections?

Your guess is as good as ours.

Why Julius will win the elections?

We can’t confirm that Julius will win the elections, but EFF is definitely putting up a fight this year.

According to Gareth van Onselen from Dispatch Live, the EFF has done what no other party managed to do in 25 years: threaten to take away a chunk of the ANC’s support base. He adds:

“If the EFF does manage, say, 12% and to roughly double its support (it secured 6.3% in 2014), it will have achieved something no other party has managed. Like or loathe the EFF, that will be remarkable. There are a number of points to make; should that happen.”

How does age restriction impact elections?

In South Africa, the legal voting age is 18. However, you can register to vote from the age of 16.

Data shows that there just over 26m registered voters in South Africa. There are another 9m who are old enough to vote but haven’t registered as yet.

According to an Op-Ed written by Susan Booysen, Njabulo Zwane, Anelile Gibixego and Dan Motaung, young voters will give South Africa new direction:

“Young people’s cynicism — if not realism — about the shortcomings and failures of politics and the political system in South Africa stand between them registering to vote, in large numbers, and eventually casting a vote.”

Also read:

EFF stronghold on students provides great promise

‘It is good for young people to participate,’ – former President Zuma reminds citizens to register to vote

IEC identifies youth as key to upcoming election campaign