Stephen Grootes

Stephen Grootes

@StephenGrootes

Host of SAFM Sunrise on @SAfmRadio. Presenter on @Newzroom405. Politics addict. Writer at https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/. Alleged cyclist. Email: GrootesSM@SABC.co.za

Johannesburg https://t.co/ItfJyMWjLb Joined 2009-11-11 Date of Analysis: Dec 16, 2025

353,569

Followers

832

Following

19,159

Tweets

69.1

Avg Engagement

826

Listed

No

Verified

Account Overview

What This Report Covers

This comprehensive analysis examines @StephenGrootes's Twitter/X presence across multiple dimensions. We analyze tweet content, engagement patterns, audience demographics, posting habits, and network connections to provide actionable insights about this account's social media strategy and influence.

Account Classification

  • Account Size: Macro Influencer (100K+)
  • Account Age:2009-11-11
  • Verification:No
  • Location:Johannesburg

Data Summary

  • Tweets Analyzed:500
  • Avg Likes per Tweet:56.7
  • Avg Retweets per Tweet:12.5
  • Followers Analyzed:50,000

Engagement Analysis

Based on 500 tweets

His tweets typically receive an average of 574 likes and 128 retweets, indicating a moderately engaged audience. The verified user base is small, suggesting a focus on organic reach and influence.

56.7

Avg Likes/Tweet

12.5

Avg Retweets/Tweet

28,329

Total Likes

6,237

Total Retweets

Engagement Quality Analysis

Median-based metrics that resist fake virality and outliers.

18

Median Likes

5

Median Retweets

73

75th Percentile

1,303

Top Tweet

0.2

Engagement per 1K Followers

Normalized influence metric

Long Tail

Engagement Pattern

Mix of hits and regular posts

Posting Behavior

Content style and format preferences

Broadcaster

Primarily shares original content

98.6%

Original

0.8%

Replies

0.6%

Retweets

0.0%

Quotes

0.0%

Threads

0.0%

With Media

1.2%

With Links

95.4%

With #Tags

98.4%

With @Mentions

0.0%

With Emojis

228

Avg Length

Audience Reaction Profile

Broadcast

Focuses on original content over replies

0.01

Reply/Original Ratio

0.0

Quote/RT Ratio

Posting Rhythm

Consistent

Regular posting cadence

99.0%

Weekday Posts

1.0%

Weekend Posts

Top Hashtags

#safmsunrise (478) #mediatedconversation (183) #safm (2) #weekendview (2) #loadshedding (1) #mediatedconversations (1) #mediatedconversatiion (1) #mediatedconverasation (1) #mediatedconference (1) #mediatedconversationupdate (1)

Most Mentioned

@safmradio (459) @safmsunrise (20) @newzroom405 (10) @stephengrootes (2) @mothusirockford (1) @eskom_sa (1) @naheem_peer (1) @kgaugelosteja (1) @bonglez (1) @iluckymahlangu (1)

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Content Strategy Analysis

Based on 500 tweets

Content Type Distribution

Content Breakdown

Original Tweets 493 (99%)
Replies 4 (1%)
Retweets 3 (1%)
Quote Tweets 0 (0%)

What This Reveals About Their Strategy

This is a content-creator focused account that primarily shares original thoughts, ideas, and media. With original content dominating their feed, they position themselves as a source of new information rather than a curator. This strategy works well for establishing thought leadership.

The 3 retweets (1% of activity) show they also amplify content from others, which helps build relationships with other accounts and provides value to followers by surfacing relevant content.

Posting Patterns & Optimal Timing

Based on 500 tweets

Engagement by Hour (UTC)

Posting Frequency Over Time

Timing Insights

Understanding when an account posts and when their audience is most responsive provides valuable competitive intelligence. The charts above show when this account's content receives the most engagement, which often correlates with when their specific audience is most active on the platform.

Peak posting times vary significantly based on an account's audience demographics, timezone distribution, and content type. Accounts with global audiences often see engagement spread across multiple time windows, while those with regional focus may have more concentrated peaks.

Audience Demographics

Based on 50,000 followers

His audience includes South Africans interested in politics, media, and current affairs. They are likely to be engaged with discussions on national challenges and public figures.

Average

Audience Quality

31.1%

Suspicion Index

42.0%

Low-Quality %

15

Median Reach

Audience Quality Signals

Lower percentages indicate healthier, more authentic followers.

48.6%

Empty Bio

49.1%

<10 Tweets

6.8%

Mass Following (>2K)

0.0%

New (<90 days)

59.0%

Low Ratio (<0.1)

0.0%

New (<180 days)

94.5%

No URL

35.4%

<3 Tweets

Free Mode Analysis: These quality metrics use heuristic signals (empty bios, low tweets, suspicious ratios). For ML-powered bot detection with 95%+ accuracy, use our dedicated tool.

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Follower Reach & Influence

This account's followers have their own audiences, creating potential for secondary amplification.

28,142,955

Total Potential Reach

15

Median Follower Reach

80

75th Percentile Reach

3.7%

>1K followers

0.3%

>10K followers

0.1%

>50K followers

0.0%

>100K followers

Creator vs Consumer Split

Classification based on tweet activity: Creators (>100 tweets), Consumers (10-100 tweets), Dormant (<10 tweets).

27.6%

Creators

13,783 accounts

23.4%

Consumers

11,688 accounts

49.1%

Dormant

24,529 accounts

76

Verified Followers

0.15% of total

4.6%

Professional Bios

founder, dev, analyst, etc.

0.08

Median Follow Ratio

follower/following

Follower Influence Distribution

How many followers do their followers have?

Follower Account Age

How long have followers been on Twitter?

Geographic Distribution

Top locations where followers are based (from those who share location data):

Johannesburg, South Africa (1,865) South Africa (1,629) Pretoria, South Africa (957) Cape Town, South Africa (732) Durban, South Africa (439) Johannesburg (388) Cape Town (246) Pretoria (211) Polokwane, South Africa (171) Centurion, South Africa (154)

163

Verified Followers

0.16% of total

6,553

Protected Accounts

6.55% of total

5 years

Avg Account Age

of their followers

Notable Followers (By Influence)

Top accounts following this user, sorted by their follower count:

Username Followers Profession Interests
@JohnCena 14,105,728 Wrestler Wrestling, Motivation, Self-promotion
@IOL 657,909 News Outlet News, Change, Stories
@advocatemahere 653,549 Lawyer Constitutional Law, African Development, MDC Alliance
@daddyhope 578,915 Journalist Journalism, Filmmaking, Leadership
@VusiThembekwayo 569,993 Entrepreneur God, Speaker, Entrepreneur
@Solphendukaa 546,564 Musician music, bookings, contact
@Newzroom405 542,293 News Channel News, Africa, Broadcasting
@MasechabaAfrica 530,208 - -
@justicemalala 462,409 Political Commentator Politics, Media, Entrepreneurship
@flysaa 445,262 Airline Aviation, Africa, Customer service

Top Keywords in Follower Bios

love (3,284) life (3,257) god (2,647) south (1,561) african (1,495) person (1,330) africa (1,172) business (1,116) father (1,063) lover (1,043)

Top Hashtags in Follower Bios

#putsouthafricansfirst (35) #putsouthafricafirst (26) #ynwa (22) #southafrica (19) #mufc (17) #blacklivesmatter (17) #oncealways (16) #bitcoin (15) #1 (15) #africa (14)

57,477

Followers With Bio

42,523

Followers Without Bio

57.48%

% With Bio

42.52%

% Without Bio

Why Audience Demographics Matter

Understanding who follows an account reveals the type of influence they hold. Accounts followed primarily by users with few followers indicate broad, mainstream appeal. Those with many high-follower followers have greater potential for content amplification through secondary sharing.

Account age distribution also tells a story: a follower base with many new accounts might indicate recent viral growth, while established followers suggest long-term, stable influence. Geographic data helps understand the cultural context and timezone spread of the audience.

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Viral Tweets

Top 5 by likes+RTs from 500 analyzed

4,507

Combined Engagement

3,833

Total Likes

674

Total Retweets

901

Avg per Tweet

Key Metrics for Viral Tweets

0%

With Media

100%

With Hashtags

100%

With @Mentions

0%

With Links

Topical Analysis:

Politics Media Current Events Education Economy Energy Crisis
Stephen Grootes
@StephenGrootes

As we are hit again by Stage 6 load shedding, Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala says we should consider an international candidate to take over from Andre de Ruyter at Eskom. Should we consider someone from outside South Africa? #SAfmSunrise @SAfmRadio

2023-01-12
Retweets: 156 Likes: 1,147 Engagement: 1,303
Stephen Grootes
@StephenGrootes

Cities like Joburg and Cape Town want to procure their own electricity, to reduce their reliance on Eskom. This would change the national grid dramatically. Should cities take over power production and distribution? #SAfmSunrise @SAfmRadio

2022-05-24
Retweets: 109 Likes: 1,012 Engagement: 1,121
Stephen Grootes
@StephenGrootes

The student who received R14-million and didn’t return it, Sibongile Mani, has been elected Treasurer of the convocation committee of Walter Sisulu University. She is currently appealing a conviction for theft. Would you trust her with money? #SAfmSunrise @SAfmRadio

2023-03-15
Retweets: 212 Likes: 777 Engagement: 989
Stephen Grootes
@StephenGrootes

The Zondo Commission says people like Duduzane Zuma, Ace Magashule, Mosebenzi Zwane and Arthur Fraser must be prosecuted. It wants real structural change to our politics. How do we ensure change happens? #SAfmSunrise @SAfmRadio

2022-06-23
Retweets: 102 Likes: 456 Engagement: 558
Stephen Grootes
@StephenGrootes

The man arrested for allegedly killing Bokgabo Poo was out on bail. There are other cases where people free on bail have committed more crimes…and others like Shepherd Bushuri who escaped while on bail. Should we change our laws on bail? #SAfmSunrise @SAfmRadio

2022-10-18
Retweets: 95 Likes: 441 Engagement: 536

Key Insights & Takeaways

He often highlights national challenges like load shedding and electricity shortages. He covers political and economic developments, including leadership changes and corporate strategies. He engages with educational institutions and their governance structures, such as university convocation committees.

Strengths

  • + Established follower base of 353,569
  • + Strong original content creation
  • + Active presence with consistent posting

Opportunities

  • ~ Optimize posting times for peak engagement windows
  • ~ Analyze top-performing content for replicable patterns
  • ~ Leverage geographic concentration for targeted content
  • ~ Explore collaboration potential with followed accounts

Summary

This analysis of @StephenGrootes reveals an growing Twitter presence with 353,569 followers. The account demonstrates a content-creator strategy, averaging 69.1 engagements per tweet. Key strengths include consistent posting and an engaged audience, with opportunities to further optimize timing and content strategy based on the patterns identified in this report.

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About This Analysis: This analysis is based on a snapshot of followers, following, and recent tweets. It evaluates structure, quality, and behavior, not historical growth. Metrics like growth rate, momentum, churn, or spike analysis require time-series data which is not available from a single snapshot.

Data collected and analyzed by twtData | Analysis date: Dec 16, 2025