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Facebook Ads CPC Benchmarks for Transportation and Logistics in South Africa

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CPC (Cost Per Click) for Transportation and Logistics in South Africa

January 2025 - January 2026

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Introduction

South Africa’s Transportation and Logistics market opened 2025 with a notably high cost environment on Facebook Ads: January CPC landed at roughly R2.54, more than double the global median for the same month. While the worldwide benchmark moved within a relatively tight band for most of the year and then spiked into November before easing, South Africa’s single reading sits well above market levels, indicating materially higher country-specific ad costs for this industry at the start of the year. 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 Transportation and Logistics in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

  • In January 2025, South Africa’s Transportation and Logistics CPC was 2.54, versus a global median of 1.12 — about 2.27x higher (+127%).
  • The global CPC trend across 2025 averaged 1.13, ranging from a low of 1.05 in December to a high of 1.32 in November. The year began at 1.12 in January, rose modestly through spring, and then surged in November before resetting lower in December.
  • Month-to-month volatility in the global series averaged about 0.06 CPC points (roughly 5% of the annual average). The sharpest moves were a jump from October (1.12) to November (1.32, +0.19) and a subsequent drop into December (1.05, −0.26), a swing of about 20% month over month.
  • The January 2026 global reading fell further to 0.85, down roughly 25% from the 2025 average, extending the late-year easing.

With only January available for South Africa, volatility within the local Transportation and Logistics category cannot be inferred. However, that single data point remains elevated versus every global month in 2025, including the November peak (2.54 vs 1.32, about +93%).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Global CPC trends show a familiar seasonal rhythm: mid-year stability, a cost build into late Q3 and especially Q4, and a reset lower into December and January. Across 2025:

  • Q1 averaged around 1.13, gradually rising from January through March.
  • Q2 held near 1.13 with a slight dip in June (1.10).
  • Q3 hovered around 1.11, with August and October nudging up before the November spike to 1.32.
  • December eased to the yearly low (1.05), and January 2026 compressed further to 0.85.

South Africa’s January 2025 CPC at 2.54 stands in contrast to the softer seasonal starting point in the global series, suggesting a higher baseline for country-specific ad costs in Transportation and Logistics at the outset of the year.

South Africa vs. Global

  • In January 2025, South Africa’s Transportation and Logistics CPC was roughly 127% above the global benchmark.
  • Even compared to the highest global month (November at 1.32), South Africa’s January level remained about 93% higher.
  • While the global benchmark ranged just 0.26 points across 2025 (about 23% of its annual average), South Africa’s single reading sits outside that global band entirely, signaling above-market CPC levels for this industry and country.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for Transportation and Logistics in South Africa clarifies how country-specific ad costs compare to global CPC trends. The January reading places South Africa well above the worldwide benchmark, providing a clear reference point for industry ad performance relative to global patterns.

Understanding the Data

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 Transportation and Logistics 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 exactly is CPC in Facebook Ads?

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).

What's considered a good CPC for Facebook ads in 2025?

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.

What influences cost per click on Facebook?

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.

Why is my Facebook ad CPC suddenly increasing?

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.

Do desktop and mobile Facebook ads have different CPCs?

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.

Should I optimize my campaigns for CPC or conversions?

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.

Why do my CPC benchmarks differ from published industry averages?

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.

Are CPCs cheaper on Instagram or Facebook?

Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.