Google has launched an online portal dedicated to covering the South African elections on May 7, providing easy access to elections-related news for voters.
The portal will compile election-related reports from across the web, party and candidate information, instructions on where to vote, real-time election news, search trends, and videos by political parties, media and civil society.
“In next month’s elections, South Africans will celebrate 20 years of democracy when they step out to vote, reflecting on how far their nation has come since the first free and fair elections in 1994, as well as considering the most pressing issues affecting their lives. That’s why today we’re launching the South African Elections Hub, a portal where you can follow the latest elections news, videos and information,” Google said.
“The world will be watching closely as South Africa moves towards voting day, and we hope that citizens find the Elections Hub useful during this important time.”
Google said it has already registered a surge in election-related search topics with the public looking for information on political parties and candidates, while earlier in the year people were in particular searching how to register to vote.
The internet giant has also been training political parties, the media and youth on how to best use digital platforms throughout the election period.
Google has previously launched dedicated portals for elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe in 2013, while Google Kenya also launched election-related mobile apps built by Kenyan students.
“The internet is changing the way Africans engage with politics, as we recently saw during national elections in countries such as Kenya and Zimbabwe,” Google said.
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