South Africa, Feb. 28 -- The rise of walled gardens

This shift is largely driven by the dominance of walled gardens, where platforms like Google, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook have evolved into self-contained ecosystems.

These platforms were once merely conduits, directing traffic to external websites. Today, they are destinations in their own right, designed to keep users engaged within their borders.

Think about your online behaviour. How often do you scroll through social media, absorb information, and move on without ever leaving the platform? You're not alone.

Studies show that over 60% of Google searches now end without a click. Instead of sending users to external sites, Google often provides the answers directly on...