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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Consulting in South Africa

See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type

Cost Per Lead for Consulting in South Africa

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • This analysis looks at cost-per-lead (CPL) trends for the Consulting industry in South Africa compared to the global trend. The analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.
  • On average, South Africa’s Consulting CPL sits far above market: 267.31 vs a global baseline of 36.26 for the same months (+637%, about 7.4x higher).
  • Volatility in South Africa is extreme, with monthly medians swinging from a high of 748.85 (Oct 2024) to a low of 0.64 (Jan 2025). The first-to-last reading drops 99.57% (Sep 2024 to Jul 2025).
  • The global baseline shows moderate seasonality and steadier month-to-month movement, with elevated CPLs in Q4 and a 17.61% rise from Sep 2024 to Jul 2025.

What the selected data shows (Consulting, South Africa)

  • Coverage: 8 monthly medians from Sep 2024 to Jul 2025.
  • Central tendency:
  • Average CPL: 267.31
  • Median CPL: 181.31
  • Extremes:
  • Highest month: 748.85 in Oct 2024
  • Lowest month: 0.64 in Jan 2025
  • Range: 748.21
  • Trend from first to last month: 638.20 (Sep 2024) to 2.74 (Jul 2025), a -99.57% change.
  • Notable swings:
  • Oct 2024 spikes to 748.85, then collapses to 0.73 in Nov 2024.
  • Another near-zero appears in Jan 2025 (0.64), followed by a rebound to 384.68 in Feb 2025.
  • Mar–Apr 2025 stabilizes comparatively (137.24 to 225.38), before another sharp drop to 2.74 in Jul 2025.
  • Takeaway: CPL in Consulting for South Africa is highly volatile with sharp spikes and dips rather than a smooth seasonal pattern.

How it compares to the global baseline

  • Baseline calculated over the same months for comparability (Sep 2024; Oct–Nov 2024; Jan–Apr 2025; Jul 2025).
  • Central tendency:
  • Average CPL: 36.26
  • Median CPL: 37.07
  • Extremes:
  • Highest month: 41.58 in Nov 2024
  • Lowest month: 31.12 in Oct 2024
  • Range: 10.45
  • Trend from first to last month: 32.88 (Sep 2024) to 38.67 (Jul 2025), a +17.61% change.
  • Month-to-month movement is contained, generally within low double-digit percentages, with the largest lift in Nov 2024.

Seasonality and volatility context

  • Global pattern: CPLs typically rise in Q4 around holiday periods—here, Nov and Dec are elevated (41.58 and 39.63), then normalize into the mid-to-high 30s through most of 2025.
  • South Africa’s Consulting CPL does not follow this global seasonal uplift: after a spike in Oct 2024, CPL drops to near-zero in Nov 2024 and Jan 2025, then rebounds sharply in Feb 2025. Overall, variability is far higher than the global benchmark.

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

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Consulting industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting South Africa, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.

Why we use median instead of average

We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.

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The data behind the benchmarks

All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

South Africa Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Mar 21Human Rights Day
Apr 18Good Friday
Apr 21Family Day
Apr 27Freedom Day
May 1Workers' Day
Jun 16Youth Day
Aug 9National Women's Day
Sep 24Heritage Day
Dec 16Day of Reconciliation
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Day of Goodwill

Key Shopping Season

Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas & Day of Goodwill), Mid-year retail (June Youth Day promotions)

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might rise during long weekends like Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, and Heritage Day as leisure and travel-related media consumption increases. Retail CPMs may spike in late November–December for holiday shopping. Youth Day and National Women's Day might drive regional campaigns. Weekend extensions across public holidays may benefit weekend campaigns.

What is considered a good cost per lead on Facebook in 2025?

A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.

Why is my CPL higher than industry averages?

Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.

Does campaign objective impact CPL?

Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.

How can I generate leads at a lower cost without hurting lead quality?

Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.

Should I optimize for leads or conversions if my goal is pipeline growth?

If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.