Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks in South Africa

Introduction

South Africa’s all‑industries cost per lead (CPL) in 2025 reads like a two‑speed market: brief bursts of very expensive leads at the start and mid‑year, followed by an extended run of unusually low costs. Against the steady global benchmark, South Africa was markedly more volatile, swinging from 6.8x the global median in January to a fraction of it by spring and again in December. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for all industries in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

The year opened at a high: January’s median CPL in South Africa hit 238, before falling to 104 in February and plunging to 4.33 in March. It remained low through May (3.48) and July (3.75), with a sharp re‑acceleration in June (91.15) and a soft December finish (5.51). Across the eight months with available readings, South Africa averaged 56.7, with a median of 4.9 — highlighting how a few spikes lifted the average even as typical months were inexpensive. The high was January (238); the low was May (3.48). From January to December, CPL declined roughly 98%, underscoring the year’s downward momentum after an early surge.

Volatility was the standout feature. Month‑to‑month moves averaged about 58.8 points in South Africa, compared with just 3.0 points for the global benchmark over the same cadence — nearly 19x more volatile. The sharpest downshift came between February and March (−99.2 points), while the steepest rebound occurred in May to June (+87.7 points). In contrast, late‑year changes were minimal.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The pattern suggests a pronounced Q1 spike (January–February) followed by a sharp March reset. April and May stayed subdued, June briefly snapped back to higher CPLs, and early Q3 (July) returned to low levels. By December, costs were still near the spring troughs. Globally, CPLs typically firm through late Q3 and Q4 as competition increases, and 2025 followed that rhythm: the global median climbed from 35.0 in January to 42.2 in December. South Africa, however, did not mirror that late‑year firming; instead, it closed the year at one of its lowest points.

Country vs. Global

On matched months, South Africa’s average CPL (56.7) sat about 47% above the global median (38.7). But the month‑by‑month relative position flipped dramatically. South Africa was far above market in January (+579%) and June (+121%), elevated in February (+158%), and well below average in March (−87%), April (−89%), May (−91%), July (−91%), and December (−87%). The gap never narrowed to parity: at its “closest,” December still trailed the global level by 87%, while January ran nearly 6.8x above it. Globally, the trend line rose gently across the year; South Africa’s path was choppier, toggling between outlier highs and extended stretches of low CPLs.

Closing

For Facebook Ads benchmarks, this CPL view shows a highly bifurcated 2025 for all industries in South Africa: brief, costly surges amid long spans of inexpensive lead generation. While CPC trends and CPM analysis often frame country‑specific ad costs, the CPL picture is decisive here — extreme volatility, a high average lifted by a few months, and a typical month (median) far below the global level. Understanding Facebook Ads cost‑per‑lead benchmarks for all industries in South Africa helps teams assess lead‑generation efficiency and compare it to global patterns in 2025.