So 2008 is coming to an end and most people I know is slowly but surely getting into the festive and holiday mood. Shopping malls are buzzing with excitement spreading like wild fire as everyone prepares to take a breather.

We have seen an exciting year in online development not only within south-Africa, but on a global scale. Blueworld Communities has grown from strength to strengh on a weekly basis and companies like Afrigator stepping up to be the next Big online Startup in SA, to mention only a few.

So what is to be expected online in 2009?

Social Media and Web 2.0

With the world staring at a recession, we have seen a huge drop in online and offline advertising expenditure, though Social Media will cease to be such an “experimental” field in online marketing and will start to become part of the main core of good campaigns.

2009 will see social media becoming more accessible to mainstream audiences and merging of websites, information and mapping of services playing a major part of the online user experience. Web 2.0 compact’s the online magnitude of user participation - which means that the power of this time is that we are all producers, putting you control.

More companies will make their online presence known with Social Media and online trading being at the forefront of these changes. We will see more people make a living online and home based online businesses full or part time playing a major role in the online growth as our economical crisis in South-Africa continues to strain.

Online Growth

Only a year before the eventful 2010 soccer World Cup, online companies belting on monopolies will be forced out of their comfort zones as 2009 will see an array of new startups and investments. Prices of broadband has decreased for the 3rd straight year and 2009 will be no exception as our market has had more than 100% year on year stable growth.

Experts believe that South Africa’s broadband reach will be close to 2.5m subscribers by 2010, and the landing of Seacom and other submarine cables in 2009 and 2010 will mean more affordable international bandwidth and hence cheaper broadband services. South-African Facebook membership has grown from an already impressive 320, 000 to just short of a 1,000,000 subscribers in 2008 alone!

In conclusion

2009 sure poises to be promising, but then again no one anticipated a near global recession, yet it happened and has affected each and every individual in some way.

The Arabs have a saying: “Trust in God, but tie your camel!”

Our market seems to be ever increasing its reach and exposure, so despite all, 2009 is set to produce more major changes and everyone needs to be on top of their game if they stand any chance of competing.

“If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, and you don’t do it… it won’t happen!!”

Hope everyone has a wonderful Festive Season, a safe journey wherever you may go and all of the best for 2009!

Tags: 2008, 2009, Afrigator, Blueworld, Broadband, facebook, Seacom, Social Media, Telkom, Web 2.0, World Cup Soccer 2010