Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks in South Africa

Introduction

South Africa’s CPM trajectory this year ran well below the global benchmark while showing sharper month-to-month swings and distinct seasonal peaks. 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 for cost per thousand impressions (CPM).

The story in the data

From June 2025 to May 2026 South Africa’s median CPM averaged roughly 3.68 (local units), starting at 4.46 in June and ending almost flat at 4.46 in May — a net change of about −0.1%. The local series ranged from a low of 0.50 in October to a high of 8.20 in February. Month-to-month moves were pronounced: average absolute monthly change was about 2.29 points, illustrating substantial volatility against a mean near 3.7. By contrast, the global CPM benchmark for the same months averaged about 20.68, with a much narrower range (≈18.83 to 24.21) and an average monthly absolute change around 1.56.

Key monthly movements in South Africa include a steep drop from June (4.46) into October (0.50), a dramatic lift into November (4.50) and December (8.11), a sustained high through February (8.20), then a rapid decline in March (2.90) and April (1.32) before rebounding into May (4.46). Those swings produced a 7.7-point absolute range and underscore episodic bursts of competition or demand.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The rhythm shows a soft late-winter trough (August–October) with the lowest CPMs clustered in September–October, followed by a sharp lift across November–February that includes South Africa’s strongest months (December and February). March–April then cools materially before a mid-year rebound in May–June. The pattern points to concentrated demand periods where CPMs spike multiple-fold versus the quieter months, producing a jagged seasonal profile rather than a smooth Q4/Q1 curve.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global baseline, South Africa’s CPMs ran far below market averages — on average about 82% lower (South Africa mean ≈3.68 vs global mean ≈20.68). The gap fluctuated: at its narrowest South Africa reached roughly 40–41% of global CPMs in December–February (i.e., ~59–60% below), while at its widest in October it was only ~2.5% of the global level (~97.5% below). Overall, South Africa displayed lower absolute CPMs but materially more volatility than the global trend.

Understanding CPM (cost per thousand impressions) benchmarks for all industries in South Africa — and how they compare to global Facebook Ads benchmarks — helps frame country-specific ad costs, CPM analysis, CPC trends, and CTR performance discussions across industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs in South Africa.