According to a study conducted earlier this year by Kenya-based Portland Communications and Tweetminster, South African’s are the most avid tweeters in the continent.

Twitter has helped organise worldwide protests, increase government transparency and bring and just last month, Twitter helped save a Johannesburg man’s life.

Thieves stuffed him in the boot of his car, but forgot to take away his cell phone. He contacted his girlfriend who then tweeted out the following messages: “Be on the look for DSS041GP”. “my boyfriend has just been hijacked and is in the boot please RT (retweet).”

The message was retweeted by @PigSpotter, a popular traffic monitoring twitter, and @K9_Unit_GP, a search and rescue team, and eventually the man’s life was saved.

“In short Twitter has the potential to connect millions of dots, enable us to speak to people directly, of whom we usually would never be able to, in order to achieve results we usually wouldn't be able to,” the operator of popular traffic twitter @PigSpotter, who keeps anonymous said.

We sent out a tweet via @TimesLive to see what else people use Twitter for here in South Africa. From those responses, we gathered the top twitter handles in SA.

Traffic

@Pigspotter: Let’s help each other expose where cops are trapping & set up roadblocks.
Followers: 111,132
Tweets: 35,251

@TrafficSA: Nationwide #traffic updates for #SouthAfrica, tweeted as it happens ~a fully interactive service~ want route advice? Send a tweet to @TrafficSA
Followers: 27,838
Tweets: 26,074

Entertainment and Lifestyle

@NelsonMandela: The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory at the Nelson Mandela Foundation contributes to a just society by promoting the values, vision and work of our founder.
Followers: 105,622
Tweets: 1,298

@khayadlanga: Struggling womaniser. Humourist. Seriousist. Typoist. Leader of People's Army Against Typo Nazis. Never eats black Jelly
Babies.
Followers: 37,926
Tweets: 57, 966

@DStv: DStv is Africa’s top entertainment & TV destination, giving you so much more! Response times: 8AM-5PM weekdays. E:WebEnquiries@multichoice.co.za p: 08389003788.
Followers: 21,630
Tweets: 30,442

@JoziKids: Find what's on offer for kids, teens and families in Johannesburg and all of Gauteng
Followers: 3,368
Tweets: 13, 901

News

@johnrobbie: John Robbie hosts the breakfast show 6am-9am, on Talk Radio 702.
Followers: 46,303
Tweets: 5,843

@SABreakingNews: All the latest breaking news from across South Africa in one stream.
Followers: 27,270
Tweets: 60,608

@MandyWiener: Eyewitness news reporter and author of Killing Kebble.
Followers: 26,486
Tweets: 9,670

Sports

@SuperSportBlitz: The home of sports updates – Channel 200 on your DStv decoder.
Followers: 82,730
Tweets: 19,815

Emergency

@k9_Unit_GP: K9 LAW ENFORCEMENT: we have narcotics, explosives, copper patrol, search & rescue. We offer free in progress medical
emergencies.
Followers: 11,325
Tweets: 1,960

Money

@MichaelJordaan: Banker, economist and wine enthusiast
Followers: 12,606
Tweets: 3,007

@Rbjacobs: The official FNB Guy. In South Africa, Love our customers & FNB, How can I help you?
Followers: 7,691
Tweets: 33, 315

Some of our reporters at The Times have Twitter handles worth following as well. You can find them at:

Jackie May, features editor - @Minormatters
Andile Ndlovu, entertainment reporter - @Vida 15
Pearl Boshomane, reporter and subeditor for Times LIVE - @PearlBosh
Amukelane Chauke, reporter for The Times - @comradeAMU