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Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Public Safety in South Africa

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Cost Per Purchase for Public Safety in South Africa

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • This analysis looks at cost-per-purchase trends for industry Public Safety 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.
  • No South Africa/Public Safety data points were provided for the selected period, so we cannot compute local averages or volatility. The global baseline offers a reliable directional proxy.
  • Globally, cost-per-purchase averaged 47.82 over the last 12 months, peaking in February 2025 (53.89) and bottoming in September 2025 (32.29).
  • The baseline shows clear seasonality: costs rise into December–February and cool through mid-year, with a sharp dip in September.
  • Month-to-month volatility in the baseline is moderate, averaging about 7.0% absolute change; the biggest jump was December 2024 (+19.3% MoM) and the steepest drop was September 2025 (-29.3% MoM).

What’s included in this report

This summary focuses on Facebook Ads cost-per-purchase benchmarks. It compares the selected segment—Public Safety in South Africa—against a global baseline to contextualize typical advertising costs and seasonal patterns. Because no selected_data points were provided, all quantitative results below refer to the baseline.

Global baseline overview (directional benchmark)

  • Average cost-per-purchase (12 months): 47.82
  • High: 53.89 in February 2025
  • Low: 32.29 in September 2025
  • First-to-last change: -30.8% from October 2024 (46.67) to September 2025 (32.29)
  • Typical volatility: average absolute month-to-month change of ~7.0%
  • Largest monthly increase: +19.3% from November to December 2024
  • Largest monthly decline: -29.3% from August to September 2025

Seasonality and timing

  • Q4 to early Q1 lift: After a dip in November 2024 (43.19), costs rose into December (51.53) and peaked February 2025 (53.89), aligning with typical holiday and new-year pressure.
  • Gradual cool-down: March to August 2025 trended slightly down (52.61 to 45.69), consistent with mid-year easing.
  • Notable dip: September 2025 saw the sharpest pullback of the period (32.29), well below the annual average.

Selected segment (Public Safety, South Africa)

  • Data availability: The selected_data object contains no observations for the period provided. As a result, averages, highs/lows, and volatility for Public Safety in South Africa cannot be computed from this dataset.
  • Relative positioning: With no local values, we cannot determine whether South Africa is above market, below average, or in line with overall trends. The global baseline should be treated as a directional benchmark until local data is available.

How the segment compares to the global trend

  • Due to zero observed data points for Public Safety in South Africa, no direct comparison can be calculated. The global pattern indicates higher costs in December–February and softer mid-year pricing, which provides context for future readings when local data becomes available.

Understanding cost-per-purchase benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Public Safety 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 Public Safety 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's a healthy cost per purchase for ecommerce brands?

It depends on your product price and margins. Most brands aim for $10 to $50. For higher-ticket products, a higher CPA may be acceptable as long as you're maintaining a strong return on ad spend.

How does product price impact CPA benchmarks?

Higher-priced products typically have a higher CPA because people take longer to convert. That's not necessarily a problem if your margin can support it. You should measure CPA in context with AOV and LTV.

Why are my purchase costs going up despite stable ROAS?

Your AOV may be increasing, which helps maintain ROAS even if CPA rises. You could also be facing higher CPMs, lower conversion rates, or creative fatigue.

Should I use manual bidding to control CPA more effectively?

Manual bidding can help if you're struggling to stay within target CPA. It's best used by experienced advertisers who can monitor performance and adjust regularly. It gives more control, but also requires more effort.

How do I scale spend without letting CPA skyrocket?

Increase budget gradually, rotate creative often, and avoid overlapping audiences. Scaling too quickly can lead to audience saturation and rising CPAs.

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