Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Arts in South Africa

Key takeaways

• Based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks, cost-per-lead in Arts for South Africa sits far above the global baseline. The selected average (828.60) is roughly 22.2x higher than the global average (37.33) for the same months—firmly above market.
• Volatility is high in the selected series: average month-to-month absolute change is ~106.8% versus 14.8% in the baseline.
• Seasonality differs from the global pattern: the global series rises into November, while South Africa’s Arts segment dips in November and spikes in January, then eases into late summer.

What this analysis covers

This analysis looks at cost-per-lead trends for the Arts industry in South Africa compared to the global trend. We summarize averages, highs/lows, percent change, and volatility for easy benchmarking against Facebook Ads cost metrics.

Arts in South Africa: selected-data overview

• Average: 828.60
• High/Low:
• High: 1,345.16 (Jan 2025)
• Low: 335.27 (Nov 2024)
• Range: 1,009.89
• First-to-last change: from 1,183.25 (Sep 2024) to 631.14 (Aug 2025) = -46.6%.
• Volatility (MoM across available points):
• Sep→Nov: -71.7%
• Nov→Jan: +301.2% (notable spike)
• Jan→May: -51.8%
• May→Aug: -2.6%
• Average absolute change: ~643.0 per step, or ~106.8% on a percent basis.
• Median: 648.17 (May 2025)

Notable movements:

• Sharp dip into November (the series low).
• Pronounced rebound in January (series high).
• Gradual softening from May to August.

Global baseline comparison (same months for apples-to-apples)

• Average: 37.33
• High/Low:
• High: 41.58 (Nov 2024)
• Low: 32.88 (Sep 2024)
• First-to-last change: +12.6% from Sep 2024 (32.88) to Aug 2025 (37.03).
• Volatility:
• Sep→Nov: +26.5%
• Nov→Jan: -14.5%
• Jan→May: +11.5%
• May→Aug: -6.6%
• Average absolute change: ~5.35, or ~14.8% on a percent basis.

Relative positioning vs. the market

• Level: The selected average (828.60) is about 22.2x the baseline (37.33). Even the selected low (335.27) is ~10.2x above the baseline low (32.88).
• Extremes: Selected high (1,345.16) is ~32.3x above baseline high (41.58).
• Trajectory: While the baseline trends upward from September to August (+12.6%), the selected series declines overall from its September starting point (-46.6%), driven by a November trough and a January spike.

Seasonality patterns observed

• Global baseline shows a Q4 rise into November, consistent with broader holiday-period pressure, followed by moderate fluctuations.
• In contrast, Arts in South Africa deviates from that pattern, posting its lowest point in November and a peak in January, before easing into late summer (August).

Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Arts and South Africa helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.