Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all industries in South Africa, Facebook Ads CPMs sit far below the global benchmark, but the year tells a livelier story than “cheap media.” Pricing moved in waves: a soft start after the 2024 holiday period, a sharp lift into March and a firm Q2, then a pronounced retreat through Q3 that culminated in the year’s low in October. Volatility was tangible month to month, with big swings that mattered more in relative terms than in absolute dollars. 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 all industries in South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
CPM in South Africa averaged $2.53 across the period (Nov 2024–Oct 2025), ranging from a high of $5.07 in March to a low of $0.35 in October. The year opened at $2.44 in November, edged up to $2.99 in December, then dipped to $1.04 in January before rebounding: $2.47 in February and a notable spike to $5.07 in March. That strength extended into Q2—$3.74 (April), $4.09 (May), and $4.46 (June)—before collapsing to $1.07 in July and $0.91 in August. A brief September rebound to $1.79 gave way to the October trough at $0.35.
From first to last data point, CPM declined 86% (Nov to Oct), driven by the steep Q3 reset. Monthly movements were pronounced: the largest rise came in March (+$2.59 vs. February), while the sharpest drop landed in July (−$3.39 vs. June). On average, absolute month‑to‑month swings were $1.31—similar in size to global movements, but much larger as a share of South Africa’s lower base.
Seasonally, the pattern was asymmetrical. The market firmed through late Q1 into Q2, with Q2 averaging about $4.10, then cooled decisively in Q3, averaging roughly $1.26—a 69% step-down from Q2. October marked the softest point of the year, contrasting with the typical global Q4 tightening. The rhythm resembles a spring surge (March peak, steady April–June plateau) followed by a winter reset that persisted into early Q4.
The global CPM benchmark averaged $19.97 across the same Nov–Oct window, peaking at $24.53 in November 2024 and bottoming at $17.87 in January 2025. Against that backdrop, South Africa’s CPMs were 85–98% below global levels throughout the year, averaging 87% lower overall. The gap narrowed during the March–June bulge: March was the tightest spread at “only” 74% below global CPMs, while October was the widest at 98% below. The global trend was comparatively steady (−13% from November to October), while South Africa’s was choppier (−86%). Absolute monthly volatility was similar—$1.27 globally vs. $1.31 in South Africa—but relative to their averages, South Africa’s swings were much larger (about half of the average CPM vs. ~6% globally).
This CPM analysis highlights country-specific ad costs for Facebook Ads benchmarks across all industries in South Africa: consistently lower prices than the global market, punctuated by a strong March–June phase and a deep Q3 pullback. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-thousand-impressions benchmarks for all industries in South Africa helps teams contextualize industry ad performance alongside global CPM trends, CPC trends, and CTR performance.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. 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.
CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.
Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.
In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.
Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.
Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
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