PeakReviews Research
The State of Google Reviews in South Africa, 2026
Every stat you've read about Google reviews comes from American consumer surveys. So we measured our own market: 912 top-ranked Google listings across six local industries and eight metros, collected 2026-08-01. This is what winning the South African map pack actually takes.
75
median review count among listings that rank in the top 20 for their category
★ 4.6
median rating of top-ranked listings — 63% sit at 4.5 stars or higher
13%
of even top-ranked listings still have fewer than 10 reviews — open doors for challengers
Five findings that matter
1. The bar to be visible is 75 reviews. Across all 912 top-ranked listings the median is 75 reviews, and 59% have more than 50. If your listing has a dozen reviews, you're not competing with the map pack — you're invisible under it.
2. The trades are wide open. 28% of top-ranked mechanics and 23% of top-ranked plumbers have fewer than 10 reviews — the lowest bars in the study (medians of just 31 and 35). A workshop that asks every customer for a review can overtake its whole suburb inside a few months.
3. Restaurants compete on rating, not count. The median top-ranked restaurant has 1 115 reviews — volume is table stakes — yet only 44% manage a 4.5+ rating, the lowest share after guesthouses. Once everyone has a thousand reviews, the decimals decide.
4. Guesthouses have a ratings problem. Median rating 4.1 and only 29% at 4.5+ — hospitality guests review harshly. Fresh volume and careful replies move the average faster here than anywhere else.
5. Geography sets the bar. The median top-ranked Cape Town listing has 150.5 reviews; in Polokwane it's 28.5. Same country, five times the moat. In smaller metros a disciplined review habit makes you unbeatable in months, not years.
By industry
| Industry | Median reviews | Median rating | Under 10 reviews | 4.5★ or higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hair & beauty salons | 85 | ★ 4.8 | 3% | 86% |
| Dentists | 64 | ★ 4.8 | 10% | 71% |
| Auto repair & mechanics | 31 | ★ 4.7 | 28% | 63% |
| Restaurants | 1 115 | ★ 4.4 | 0% | 44% |
| Guesthouses & B&Bs | 50 | ★ 4.1 | 16% | 29% |
| Plumbers & home services | 35 | ★ 4.8 | 23% | 80% |
By metro
| Metro | Median reviews | Median rating | Under 10 reviews | 50+ reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 102 | ★ 4.6 | 8% | 71% |
| Cape Town | 150,5 | ★ 4.7 | 9% | 72% |
| Durban | 120 | ★ 4.7 | 7% | 70% |
| Pretoria | 97 | ★ 4.7 | 10% | 70% |
| Gqeberha | 52 | ★ 4.6 | 18% | 52% |
| Bloemfontein | 54 | ★ 4.6 | 14% | 51% |
| East London | 48 | ★ 4.5 | 15% | 49% |
| Polokwane | 28,5 | ★ 4.6 | 23% | 39% |
Where does your listing sit?
Our free scorecard grades your review count, rating and freshness against the businesses around you — the same numbers this study measures, for your street.
Grade my listing freeMethodology & citation
Collected 2026-08-01 via the Google Places API: for each of 6 industries (hair & beauty, dentists, auto repair, restaurants, guesthouses, plumbing/home services) in each of 8 metros (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London, Polokwane), we recorded the review count and rating of the top text-search results (up to 20 per query), n = 912. The sample deliberately measures top-ranked listings — the businesses winning the map — so figures describe the competitive bar, not the average business. Owner response rates aren't exposed by the Places API and are excluded. Aggregates only; no individual business data is published.
Cite this study: "The median top-ranked Google listing in South Africa has 75 reviews and a 4.6-star rating (PeakReviews, State of Google Reviews in South Africa, 2026)." Link: peakreviews.co.za/research/state-of-google-reviews-south-africa-2026 — free to cite with attribution. Journalists and bloggers: mail [email protected] for metro- or industry-level cuts.