Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase trends and benchmarks

This analysis looks at cost-per-purchase 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.

Key takeaways

• Overall level: The selected series averages 59.9 per purchase versus the global baseline’s 50.0 across the same months—about 19.8% higher on average, driven by one extreme January spike.
• Typical position: In 5 of 6 months, South Africa sits below the global baseline; the median month is 27.7% below baseline (37.6 vs 51.9), signaling generally below-market costs outside the January anomaly.
• Volatility: Month-to-month volatility is very high in the selected data (average absolute change 168.9%, median 56.1%) compared with the global baseline’s 7.2%.
• Seasonality: The global trend shows elevated costs from December through February. South Africa follows with a sharp January spike, then quickly reverts lower by April.

Selected series highlights (Consulting, South Africa)

• Period covered: Oct 2024 to Apr 2025 (6 observations).
• Average: 59.9. Median: 37.6.
• High/low: High in Jan 2025 at 189.6; low in Apr 2025 at 20.9. Peak-to-trough range: 168.8.
• Trend: From Oct 2024 (42.9) to Apr 2025 (20.9), costs fell 51.3%.
• Notable moves:
• Oct → Nov: −38.5% (42.9 to 26.4)
• Nov → Jan: +619.4% surge (26.4 to 189.6)
• Jan → Feb: −82.9% normalization (189.6 to 32.2)
• Feb → Mar: +47.5% (32.2 to 47.6)
• Mar → Apr: −56.1% (47.6 to 20.9)

Comparison with the global baseline

• Baseline average (same months): 50.0. High in Feb 2025 at 53.9; low in Nov 2024 at 43.2. First-to-last change (Oct → Apr): +10.5%.
• Relative positioning by month:
• Oct 2024: −8% vs baseline
• Nov 2024: −39% vs baseline
• Jan 2025: +263% vs baseline (189.6 vs 52.3)
• Feb 2025: −40% vs baseline
• Mar 2025: −9.6% vs baseline
• Apr 2025: −59.5% vs baseline
• Summary: Despite an average that sits above the global line, the selected series is usually below average, with a single exceptional January reading pulling the mean upward. Excluding that spike, South Africa remains well below global costs.

Seasonality and stability

• Global seasonality: Costs typically rise in late Q4 and peak into Q1 (Dec–Feb), then ease into mid-year.
• South Africa pattern: A pronounced January peak aligns with baseline seasonality but is unusually large; by April, costs fall to the series low, well below the global average for that month.
• Stability: The global line is steady (range ~10.7 over the observed months), while South Africa shows a wide range (~168.8), indicating far higher short-term fluctuation.

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