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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Healthcare in South Africa

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

Cost Per Lead for Healthcare in South Africa

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • Healthcare in South Africa shows a consistently below-market cost per lead versus the global baseline across all observed months.
  • Selected average: 4.56 per lead vs. global baseline 36.15 per lead (about 87% lower), indicating materially cheaper acquisition costs.
  • Seasonality diverges: while the global trend rises in Q4, South Africa dips in November–December and then spikes sharply in January.
  • Volatility is high in relative terms for South Africa (average month-to-month change ~64% in percentage terms), with notable swings in October and January.

Introduction

This analysis looks at cost per lead trends for industry Healthcare and target country 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. All figures are monthly medians, a robust indicator of typical Facebook Ads costs.

Overview of Healthcare in South Africa (selected data)

  • Period covered: Sep 2024–Jan 2025 (5 months)
  • Average: 4.56 per lead
  • High: 7.50 in Jan 2025
  • Low: 2.91 in Nov 2024
  • First-to-last change: +103% (3.70 in Sep 2024 to 7.50 in Jan 2025)
  • Volatility:
  • Month-to-month changes: +54.7% (Oct), −49.0% (Nov), +2.1% (Dec), +152.0% (Jan)
  • Average absolute month-to-month change: 2.35
  • Notable pattern: Costs decreased across late Q4 (Nov–Dec) before a sharp January surge.

Global baseline (same overlapping months for comparability)

  • Period compared: Sep 2024–Jan 2025
  • Average: 36.15 per lead
  • High: 41.58 in Nov 2024
  • Low: 31.12 in Oct 2024
  • First-to-last change: +8.1% (32.88 to 35.54)
  • Volatility:
  • Month-to-month changes: −5.4% (Oct), +33.6% (Nov), −4.7% (Dec), −10.3% (Jan)
  • Average absolute month-to-month change: 4.56
  • Seasonal shape: Clear Q4 lift (Oct → Nov) followed by a modest December normalization.

How South Africa compares to the global trend

  • Level vs. market:
  • South Africa’s Healthcare cost per lead is well below market every month:
  • Sep: −88.8% vs. global
  • Oct: −81.6%
  • Nov: −93.0%
  • Dec: −92.5%
  • Jan: −78.9%
  • Seasonality:
  • Global shows a typical Q4 increase around peak retail periods (Oct → Nov).
  • South Africa diverges with a dip across Nov–Dec and a pronounced rebound in January.
  • Volatility:
  • In percentage terms, South Africa is more volatile (avg ~64% MoM) than the global baseline (~13% MoM), driven chiefly by large swings in October and January.
  • In absolute terms, swings are smaller in South Africa simply because its CPL levels are much lower.

Monthly highlights

  • October 2024: Selected jumps 54.7% to 5.72 while the global baseline softens slightly.
  • November 2024: Selected hits the period low (2.91, −49.0% MoM); globally, costs peak (41.58, +33.6% MoM).
  • December 2024: Selected stabilizes (+2.1% MoM) whereas global eases slightly from November highs.
  • January 2025: Selected spikes to the period high (7.50, +152.0% MoM) while the global baseline steps down to 35.54.

Understanding cost per lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Healthcare 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 Healthcare industry, Facebook ad costs can be higher than average due to specialized audience targeting and compliance requirements. 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.