Video sharing platform YouTube on Wednesday released its 2021 Top 10 lists, celebrating 2021’s biggest moments on the platform in South Africa.
The country’s top 10 trending videos on YouTube this year reflect the growing popularity of original content produced by South African creators on the platform, with Ramscomics, Lasizwe Dambuza, MacG, Noluthando Zungu and MDM Sketch Comedy all dominating this category.
The top trending videos on YouTube for 2021 are based on a range of factors, beyond just viewership.
According to a statement, YouTube considers engagement while also looking at signals such as shares and likes.
YouTube’s 2021 Top 10 lists bring together the biggest videos in South Africa from creators, personalities and mainstream media with a presence on YouTube.
Local contributors topping the list include #YouTubeBlack Voices class of 2021 creator Lasizwe Dambuza, and former radio show host turned podcaster, MacG.
“In a year when amapiano music took the world by storm, a video featuring a group of amapiano dancers ranked second in the country, with almost six million views," the statement read.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, the funeral service for local musician Killer Kau, and Prince Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview with Oprah were among the news items that had South Africans clicking “play”.
Launched in May 2005, YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community, allowing billions of people to discover, watch and share videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.