Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Design in South Africa

Key takeaways

• This analysis looks at cost per purchase trends for industry Design 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.
• South Africa’s Design cost per purchase is well below market: the period average is 3.73 versus the global 49.59 (about 92.5% lower). From November onward, the typical level averages 1.50 and sits 95–99% below the global median each month.
• Seasonality diverges from the global pattern. The global series climbs into December and peaks in February, while South Africa shows an October spike, a sharp November dip, and relatively steady values through mid‑year.
• Volatility is low in South Africa after October (average month‑to‑month move ~0.60), whereas the global benchmark shows steadier but larger shifts on average (~2.43). Including the October reset, South Africa’s average month‑to‑month move is 3.12.

Design in South Africa: what the numbers say

• Period covered: Oct 2024–Jul 2025.
• Average: 3.73. Post‑October average: 1.50.
• High: 23.80 in Oct 2024.
• Low: 0.55 in Nov 2024.
• First to last month: down 91.4% (23.80 in Oct 2024 to 2.05 in Jul 2025).
• Month‑to‑month:
• Largest drop: Oct → Nov (-23.25), a normalization after the October spike.
• Largest increase (post‑October): Jan → Feb (+1.09).
• Largest decrease (post‑October): Mar → Apr (-1.25).
• Overall profile: after the one‑off October outlier, costs stabilize in a 0.55–2.26 band, with modest lifts in February and July.

How South Africa compares to the global benchmark

• Overlapping period average (Oct 2024–Jul 2025):
• South Africa (Design): 3.73
• Global baseline: 49.59
• Relative position: consistently below market. Even in October, South Africa is ~49% lower than global; from November onward, it is typically 95–99% lower each month.
• Highs and lows:
• Global high: 53.89 (Feb 2025); low: 43.19 (Nov 2024).
• South Africa high/low: 23.80 (Oct 2024) and 0.55 (Nov 2024).
• Trend from first to last month:
• Global: -1.0% (46.67 → 46.21), essentially flat.
• South Africa: -91.4%, driven by October normalization.
• Volatility (average month‑to‑month absolute move):
• Global: 2.43
• South Africa: 3.12 including October; 0.60 excluding October, indicating steadiness after the initial reset.

Seasonality and volatility signals

• Global seasonal pattern is visible: costs rise into December (+19% from November) and remain elevated in Q1 (February peak), then ease into early Q3.
• South Africa’s Design series departs from this: October is elevated, November and December are notably lower, and modest upticks appear in February and July. Post‑October, movements are small and steady relative to the global swings.

Notable spikes and dips

• October 2024 spike in South Africa (23.80) followed by a sharp November dip (0.55) marks the most significant discontinuity.
• Within the steady state, February 2025 (2.26) stands out as the local high; April 2025 (0.82) is a local low before recovering into May–July.

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