Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Entertainment advertisers in South Africa spent most of the year well below global Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per click, yet the local market showed a clear upward swing through 2025. CPC started modestly in December 2024 at $0.35, dipped into a Q1 trough, then climbed steadily across Q3 and into Q4, peaking in November at $0.67. The pattern is more dynamic than the global baseline: sharper troughs early, a sustained run-up midyear, and a pronounced late-year lift, with September and November standing out.
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 the Entertainment industry in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
Across December 2024 to November 2025, South Africa’s Entertainment CPC averaged $0.43, ranging from a low of $0.19 in February to a high of $0.67 in November. The period opened at $0.35 (December 2024) and closed at $0.67, a 93% increase end to end. The recovery from the February low was considerable: CPC rose 260% from $0.19 to $0.67 by November.
Monthly movements were pronounced. After a January uptick ($0.41), February dropped sharply (−$0.23), followed by a partial rebound in March ($0.31). Q2 brought momentum: May ($0.41) and June ($0.47) lifted the median above Q1 levels. July eased slightly ($0.40), then August and September accelerated to $0.53 and $0.63. October cooled to $0.54 before a final leg higher in November ($0.67). Average month-to-month absolute change was $0.12, indicating a choppier cadence than a typical steady climb.
The rhythm resembled classic seasonal dynamics for social ad costs. CPC was soft through Q1 (average $0.30), strengthened in Q2 ($0.36) and moved decisively higher in Q3 ($0.52). Early Q4 remained elevated, averaging $0.60 across October and November. The year’s tightest cluster of increases ran May through September, with only a brief July pause before the August–September surge.
Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1; here, South Africa’s Entertainment CPC followed the inverse on price—low early, climbing into the back half—culminating in the high watermark ahead of peak retail month activity.
Relative to the global benchmark, South Africa’s Entertainment CPC was consistently below market levels but closed the gap late in the year. The local average ($0.43) was 63% lower than the global average ($1.14). Month by month, South Africa trailed the global level by 40%–84%. The widest gap appeared in February (−84% vs. global), while September was the narrowest (−40%). In trend terms, the global line was comparatively flat (+3% from December to November), while South Africa rose materially (+93%), pointing to a stronger local momentum effect.
Volatility also diverged: average monthly absolute change was $0.12 in South Africa versus $0.05 globally—about 2.4 times more volatile. Globally, CPC hovered near $1.08–$1.14 for most of the year, with a late jump to $1.31 in November; South Africa, by contrast, moved from sub-$0.20 lows to above $0.60 highs.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for the Entertainment industry in South Africa reveals CPC trends that are lower than global averages but notably more dynamic, with a clear late-year lift. These country-specific ad costs help situate Entertainment industry ad performance in South Africa against the global pattern for more grounded benchmarking.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Entertainment 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.
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.
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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Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas & Day of Goodwill), Mid-year retail (June Youth Day promotions)
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.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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