Here Is What Africans Googled in 2022

The year 2022 was full of ebbs and flows. With the vast health and economic changes that swept through the world, it is no wonder that several African countries were curious to stay informed about events happening both in and out of the continent. On Wednesday, Google released its annual “2022 Year in Search Report,” which displays users' search habits throughout the year.

There was data from four countries in Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt. Here are interesting tidbits from each country.

South Africa

South Africans proved, through their aggregated Google search history, that they are curious doers who are interested in how things function and who certain people are. South Africans had several queries about how to accomplish certain tasks, including "How to go live on Whatsapp" and How to check matric results online." Several public figures made the Google search history in South Africa, including Sonia Booth, Zeenat Simjee, Will Smith, and Chris Rock. Here is a comprehensive list of what South Africans were digging through Google for this year.

Nigeria

Nigeria primarily inquired about the ASUU strike, which caused a public uproar among Nigerian youth; The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON); and the iPhone 14. Other major inquiries included Peter Obi, who is one of the leading presidential candidates that has left an impression on many Nigerian citizens. American actors Will Smith and Johnny Depp were searched a lot while Yul Edochie was the top searched Nollywood actor. The top searched musicians were Oxlade, Black Sheriff, Asake, and Portable. View the full list here.

Kenya

Some of the general trending Google search topics that Kenyans inquired about this year included AFCON, Climate Change, and World Cup 2022. Kenyans were also curious about the Russia-Ukraine Conflict COVID-19 Registry and the 2022 Kenya Elections. Several Kenyans also wanted to know the lyrics to Ayra Starr's "Rush." Several local public figures such as Martha Karua, Juliana Cherera and Johnson Sakaja made the list. View the complete list here.

Egypt

Egyptians were curious about the economy, with several general searches asking what the dollar exchange rate was in comparison to the Egyptian dollar. Residents in the Northeast African country also researched the ongoing World Cup, where their team is currently thriving. Many Egyptians were also curious about the ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict, which has affected many parts of the world. Some of the artists featured in Egypt's Google search this year included Egypt's Mayar El Beblawi, celebrated Egyptian actor Hisham Selim, Samir Sabry, and Jala Fahmy, among others. Here is a complete list of the most searched events, places, and things in Egypt this year.