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Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Marketing & Advertising in South Africa

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

Cost Per Lead for Marketing & Advertising in South Africa

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Main takeaways

  • This analysis looks at cost-per-lead trends for Marketing & Advertising in South Africa compared to the global trend, based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.
  • Overall, South Africa’s series shows extreme volatility. After exceptionally high costs in September–October 2024, costs collapsed in November, stayed low through May 2025, spiked in June, and fell back in July.
  • Compared with the global baseline, South Africa is mixed: a few months are far above market, but the “typical” month is well below average. The median month in South Africa sits roughly 87% below the global median for the same months.
  • Seasonality differs from the global pattern: while the global trend rises into Q4 (with a November peak), South Africa’s November drops sharply.

Selected trend overview (Marketing & Advertising, South Africa)

Timeframe: Sep 2024–Jul 2025 (10 months)

  • Average cost-per-lead: 152.00
  • Median month: 4.88 (reflects typical conditions more accurately than the average due to outliers)
  • High: 832.30 in Oct 2024
  • Low: 0.73 in Nov 2024
  • First to last month: down 99.5% (from 572.73 in Sep 2024 to 2.74 in Jul 2025)
  • Volatility:
  • Median month-to-month absolute change: ~45%
  • Notable swings:
  • Oct → Nov 2024: −99.9%
  • May → Jun 2025: +3,654% (to 88.37)
  • Jun → Jul 2025: −96.9%
  • Notable spikes/dips:
  • Elevated costs in Sep–Oct 2024
  • Sharp dip in Nov 2024
  • Secondary spike in Jun 2025

Comparison to the global baseline

Compared over the same months (Sep 2024–Jul 2025):

  • Global average: 36.81 (vs. South Africa’s 152.00)
  • On average, South Africa is +313% higher, driven by two early outliers (Sep–Oct 2024).
  • “Typical” month comparison (median):
  • Global median: 38.47 vs. South Africa median: 4.88
  • South Africa’s typical month is ~87% below the global level.
  • High/low comparison:
  • Global high (overlap): 41.58 in Nov 2024; low: 31.12 in Oct 2024
  • South Africa has a wider range (0.73–832.30), indicating far greater dispersion.
  • Volatility:
  • Global median month-to-month absolute change: ~9%
  • South Africa: ~45% → substantially more volatile than the global trend.
  • Direction:
  • Global first to last month: +17.6% (32.88 → 38.67)
  • South Africa: −99.5% over the same span
  • Relative positioning by month:
  • Above market in 3/10 months (Sep–Oct 2024 and Jun 2025)
  • Below market in 7/10 months (Nov 2024–May 2025 and Jul 2025)

Seasonality signals

  • Global pattern: costs typically increase in Q4 around holiday periods, peaking in November and remaining elevated into December.
  • South Africa (Marketing & Advertising) deviated in late 2024: a surge in October followed by an exceptional drop in November, with no December datapoint provided. A one-month spike reappeared in June 2025.

Understanding cost-per-lead benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Marketing & Advertising 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 Marketing & Advertising 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.