Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Healthcare advertisers in South Africa spent 2025 in a very different CPC reality than the global market. Median cost-per-click began the year near mid-range levels, then collapsed after May and stayed at fractions of a dollar through year-end—consistently and dramatically below the global Facebook Ads benchmarks. The story is one of a clear regime shift: from a relatively typical Q1–Q2 to ultra-low, steady CPCs across the back half of the year, with November–December printing the lowest costs of all.
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 Healthcare in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
For Healthcare in South Africa, median CPC started at $0.47 in January and ended at $0.006 in December—down roughly 99% across the year. The annual average was $0.17, with a high of $0.50 in March and a low of $0.0057 in December. The turning point came in May: CPC dropped from $0.41 in April to $0.013 in May (−97%), briefly rebounded to $0.15 in June, and then settled into a persistent one-cent band from July onward.
The early-year (Jan–Apr) average CPC was $0.44. From May–Dec, the average fell to $0.03—about 94% lower. Monthly volatility, measured as average absolute month-over-month change, was $0.09, sharper than the global benchmark’s $0.06, concentrated in the April–July reset. After that reset, the market grew notably calm, with micro-movements of only $0.001–$0.006 month-to-month through Q4.
Seasonality diverged from the usual Facebook CPC trends. Q1 into early Q2 looked conventional: January through April climbed into a March peak ($0.50) before easing slightly in April. May introduced a structural break, and the rest of the year ran at exceptionally low, stable costs. Q3 was flat and low; Q4 softened further, with October at $0.013, November at $0.0097, and December marking the annual floor at $0.0057.
By contrast, the global baseline typically tightens in Q4. In 2025, the worldwide median CPC hovered near $1.13 for most of the year, spiked in November to $1.32, then fell to $1.06 in December—still within a relatively narrow seasonal corridor.
Across 2025, Healthcare CPC in South Africa averaged $0.17 versus a $1.13 global median—about 85% below market. The gap was smallest in March (South Africa at $0.50 vs. global $1.14, −56%) and widest in December ($0.006 vs. $1.06, −99.5%). Globally, CPCs slipped modestly from January to December (−6%), while South Africa’s decline was far steeper (−99%), reflecting that mid-year reset. The amplitude of South Africa’s range ($0.50 high to $0.0057 low) was roughly three times its annual average, indicating a much more pronounced swing than the global range (about 23% of the global average).
In summary, Facebook Ads CPC trends for Healthcare in South Africa in 2025 show a stark split: a normal-feeling Q1–early Q2 followed by ultra-low, steady costs through year-end—consistently below the global benchmark. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for Healthcare in South Africa helps quantify country-specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global patterns.
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 Healthcare industry, Facebook ad costs can be higher than average due to specialized audience targeting and compliance requirements. 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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