This document takes a look at topics that trended and generated conversations on Twitter during the month of August. From politics to sports to entertainment - I checked out what South African tweeps have been saying and contributing on the platform.

1. Twitter Trending Topics
August 2018
By
Ashley Mokwena

2. Table of Contents
Introduction i
Women’s Month 1-3
State Capture Inquiry 4-7
EFF Media Briefing 8-11
Adam Catzavelos 12-15
Simphiwe Tshabalala 16-18
Donald Trump 19-21
NBA Africa Game 2018 22-24
Research Methodology 25
Content Page No.

3. Introduction
This document takes a look at eight topics that trended and generated
conversations on Twitter during the month of August.
From politics to sports to entertainment - I checked out what South African tweeps
have been saying and contributing on the platform.
In this document you will find the following topics:
• #WomensMonth
• #StateCaptureInquiry
• #EFFMediaBriefing
• #AdamCatzavelos
• #SimphiweTshabalala
• #NBAAfricaGame2018
i

4. Topics

5. Topic: #WomensMonth
Industry: Current Affairs
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
1
The #WomensMonth topic trended throughout the entire month of August. Tweeps
and some influential figures such as the president, Cyril Ramaphosa, cabinet minister
Nathi Mtwetwa and Oscar winning actress Terry Pheto took to Twitter to share quotes
and special messages to inspire women. #WomensMonth is celebrated annually to
commemorate the 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition
against the country’s pass laws during the Apartheid era.

6. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
2

7. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
3

8. Topic: #StateCaptureInquiry
Industry: Current Affairs
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
4
The eagerly awaited #StateCaptureInquiry kicked off in August. The inquiry which is
presided over by the Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, has been entrusted to
handle the hearings into the looting of state coffers by the Gupta family and cabinet
ministers under former president Jacob Zuma’s administration.
Twitter erupted in a storm when former finance deputy minister, Mcebisi Jonas, and
former ANC member of parliament, Vytjie Mentor, shared their testimonies against the
famous Gupta brothers. Opposition parties, political analysts and general South
Africans following the inquiry have been sharing their thoughts about the inquiry. It
will be interesting to see how the inquiry fairs, I think we should expect quite a few
shocking twist and turns along the way.

9. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
5

10. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
6

11. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
7

12. Topic: #EFFMediaBrief
Industry: Politics
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
8
The EFF held a media briefing towards the end of the month at their head quarters in
Johannesburg. During the media briefing the party leader Julius Malema tackled issues
such as the governance of the DA-run Nelson Mandela Bay and City of Tshwane metros.
During the presser the CIC spoke of the need for Africa to be borderless and about land
expropriation, which was a conversation driver during the media briefing and has been a
trending topic on Twitter.

13. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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14. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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15. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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16. Topic: #AdamCatzavelos
Industry: Current Affairs
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
12
Twitter erupted when businessman Adam Catzavelos’s video was leaked and went
viral. On the recorded video Adam was seen to be on holiday in Greece with his wife
where he made mention of the K-word which was aimed at black South Africans.
Tweeps took to twitter to express their disgust with some of tweets going as far as
highlight other events of racism that have occurred within South African.

17. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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18. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
14

19. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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20. Topic: #SimphiweTshabalala
Industry: Sports
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
16
Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana player Simphiwe Tshabalala found himself
trending on Twitter for securing a deal from Kaizer Chiefs to Turkish side,
Erzurumspor FC. Tweeps reacted with amazement to the news and drove the
conversation by congratulating and wishing “Shabba” well on his next endeavour.

21. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
17

22. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
18

23. Topic: #DonaldTrump
Industry: Politics and Current Affairs
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
19
Twitter went crazy when US President Donald Trump tweeted he had instructed his
Secretary of State to have a look into the land situation in South Africa. His tweet
sparked an outrage with tweeps tweeting their thoughts around South Africa’s
#LandExpropriation program.

24. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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25. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
21

26. Topic: #NBAAfricaGame2018
Industry: Sports
Estimated Accounts reached Estimated people reached
22
The NBA Africa Game took place in early August, at the Time Square Sun Arena
in Pretoria. There were a lot of activities and tweets shared by tweeps that
attended the game. Pre-match, on court action and post match activities made
up much of the conversation.

27. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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28. What Tweeps Have Been Saying
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29. Methodology

30. Research Methodology
•Listening and monitoring period:
•01 August 2018 – 31 August 2018
•Tracking and monitoring sources:
•Twitter
•Tweetreach
•Trends Map South Africa
•Trends24
•Tweeplers
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