As the Internet penetration in Africa grows in leaps and bounds we look across the continent to see where the internet destinations of choice for Africans are. In this edition we survey the top ten South African websites visited from South Africa based on data from Alexa.com in Jan 2008.
10. Mybroadband
Online news and discussion group with a focus on technology issues, particularly the growth of broadband in South Africa.
9. bid or buy
Bid or Buy is an online South African auction site, similar in format to the more famous EBay but with a focus on South Africa's internet community. Bid or Buy has over 250,000 registered users. I guess everyone loves a bargain so no surprise at Bid or Buys popularity
8. Eskom
The website of South Africa’s national electricity supplier. The site comes with online payment facilities and information of consumer’s electricity consumption patterns. However it’s likely that recent concerns about electricity supply in South Africa and the attendant load shedding has boosted Eskom’s popularity, as ironically the website gives up to date reports on when and where load shedding will take place.
7. Web Mail
It might be commonplace and unsexy but some would argue that Email is the ultimate killer application on the web. Its popularity has driven the success of global web giants like Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Google Mail and not wanting to be left out South Africa has its own free-to-use email service - webmail. Like it’s peers it has enjoyed enormous success.
6. Independent Online
Independent Online is the website of South Africa’s leading newspaper group representing content from over 15 daily and weekly published newspapers and the website is one of South Africa’s premier online news providers attracting over 1.4 million visitors a month
5. Standard Bank
One of South Africa’s ‘Big Four’ banking firms, the others being First National Bank, ABSA and NedBank. The website offers the standard range of services which one would expect from any major bank, including internet banking, online share trading and payment services.
4. ABSA
Another big bank, another professionally built website again offering all the services one would expect from you friendly neighbourhood banking conglomerate. ABSA is the largest consumer bank in South Africa and is a subsidiary of the UK’s Barclays Bank.
3. M-Web
Website of South Africa’s largest Internet Service with over 350,000 dial-up and broadband subscribers it’s is a subsidiary of Naspers the entertainment conglomerate that owns cable TV service MultiChoice, premium TV service M-Net as well as newspapers and magazines under the News24 umbrella.
2. Gumtree.co.za
The South African version of the popular classified adverts website owned by EBay. Its premise it simple, have something to sell, just list and wait for a buyer. That’s it. The sheer simplicity of the idea has helped make it South Africa’s second most popular indigenous web site.
1. News24
This Cape Town based firm is South Africa’s most popular indigenous website and provides round-the-clock news from South Africa and the rest of the world. News24 like M-Web is a subsidiary of Napsers and benefits from content sharing opportunities with its sister firms.