I’ve waited a long time to read an article like this: SA’s biggest websites and blogs.

I’ve been working in the Internet and more and web based business arena for close on 12 years now, so this topic always interests me. It’s even more interesting for me having worked through the ‘dot bomb’ in the UK circa 2000/2001 and having seen all the fall out from that. An article such as this is a long time coming in my mind and what a shame it has been such a wait.

Ideas postulated around desks and in bars close on a decade ago have not found their place in South Africa’s Internet community simply because connectivity and penetration wouldn’t marrry for such a long time.

To be a blogger and Internet Entrepreneur can sometimes be a daunting thing. More so in South Africa.

Not being classically trained in any way and simply working from the seat of my pants, driven by a desire to fully explore media, thrash out ideas and see where this whole Internet / communication malarchy can take us is what it’s all about for me. Naturally, driving down cost, increasing revenue methodologies and a non traditional working environment are contributing factors to the attraction of this business arena. How else, other than using blogging and social communication methods, could anyone self taught, through the weight of sheer determination realise their dreams of contributing to the most exciting thing to happen to the South African media landscape in so very long?

We hear (and feel) how South Africa is currently experiencing strong broadband adoption and Internet usage growth – something expected so many years ago, but hampered by government interference, archaic regulations and a monopolistic fixed line environment. It’s with great pleasure I can read and deseminate such information that we now can proudly talk about. South African Bloggers and News Providers are finding their feet and the ground appears solid. Yes we have a throttled environment in most respects are are still in many areas subject to restrictions of various kinds, but we have options and that’s the important thing.

According to a recent research report by World Wide Works South, and I quote from the article posted above,

“…Africa’s Internet population is expected to grow as much in the next five years as it has in the 15 years since the Internet became commercially available in South Africa.”

The article goes on to relate how this research also shows we can expect double digit figure growth going forward, and this is expected for the next 5 years.

The summary of popular websites listed in this article serve to showcase the changing face of South Africa’s online media landscape. Google still dominates but is now joined by Facebook. Wikipedia and Blogger being up there shows we are finding our voice quite beautifully thanks, both in how we learn and how we discuss what we are learning. Internet banking now is the norm. Gumtree shows us that Newspaper classifieds sections will continue to get thinner by the quarter.

Our favourite sites are increasingly South African and increasing we use them as tools. This is the local content muttering I discussed with my peers a decade ago off Tottenham Court Road while we planned our move back home and how we would make our way boldly forward with LAMP architecture lighting our way. We talked about how local would be lekker.

Our favourite sites are blogs now. We clearly want to see and hear real people doing real things. We want Internet Heroes to get the next decade underway. I’d hazard a guess you’ll find them at Afrigator where we can hear them daily, unadulterated and uncensored.

Our favourite bloggers now have followings in the thousands. Seth Rotherham at 2oceansvibe encourages us to live the holiday, has taught us ‘slap, snap, fisties’, and how to slice an Avo, and all this in glorious full colour streaming broadband with a smile. This is happening in my city not in some multiplex somewhere in California with gourmet chefs and sleeping pods. This is the beginning of the next generation. Blogs are the new TV channels and we don’t need a licence for them and that suits me just fine.

Joe Social

I'm writing this cos I have a lot to say and sometimes I cant sleep unless I write it. Then its gone from my head.

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