South African Population 2023
At the end of January 2023, the estimated population of South Africa was 60.14 million people.
Digital adoption across South Africa has been on the rise, and social media has integrated with the lives of millions of South Africans. This article will delve deeper into the social media trends and user metrics in South Africa.
As a social media agency, we assess the data regularly and will dig deeper into how it has become integral for businesses to reach out to their target audience on social media channels, irrespective of scale.
More than 43.48.00 million people of the general population in South Africa are on the internet, of which 25.80 million people are on Social Media.
This is equivalent to roughly around 59.3 per cent of South Africa’s population, which is a massive figure that businesses cannot take lightly.
However, it is to be noted that the number of social media users (25.80 million) may not actually represent unique individuals.
As per the Kepios Analysis, the number of social media users in South Africa witnessed a jump of over 0.8 per cent or 357 thousand between 2022 and 2023.
Facebook Users in South Africa (2023)
As per Meta’s ad resources, Facebook had close to 22.15 million South African users in January 2023.
The ad reach of Facebook ads decreased by nearly 8.5 per cent or 2.1 million between 2022 and 2023, as per Meta’s own tools.
The revised guidelines of how Meta reports advertising outreach show that Facebook’s ads reach is equivalent to 36.8 per cent of the total South African population.
Facebook doesn’t allow users below 13 years, meaning over 48.9 per cent of the South African population above 13 years of age are on Facebook.
As of January 2023, Facebook’s ad audience in South Africa comprises 50.8 per cent female and 49.2 per cent male.
YouTube Users in South Africa (2023)
Google’s advertising resources indicate South Africa had over 25.80 million YouTube users in early 2023.
It means that the advertising reach of YouTube is equivalent to 42.9 per cent of the total South African population in early 2023.
The YouTube ads reached more than 59.3 per cent of the total internet user base, regardless of age, in January 2023.
YouTube’s ad audience in South Africa is equally split between males and females (50 per cent each) as of January 2023.
As per Google’s own ad planning tools, the potential reach of YouTube Ads increased by +2.0 per cent or 500,000 between 2022 and early 2023.
Instagram Users in South Africa (2023)
Today, Instagram is among the fastest-growing social media platforms in South Africa, with over 5.65 million users as of January 2023.
The advertising reach of Instagram equals 9.4 per cent of the total South African population.
However, only 12.5 per cent of the “eligible” (above 13) population currently uses Instagram. This figure is slated to grow exponentially soon.
The Instagram ad reach in South Africa in 2023 equals 13.0 percent of the total South African internet users.
Instagram’s ad audience in South Africa consists of 54.0 per cent female and 46.0 per cent male.
TikTok users in South Africa (2023)
As per the data released by ByteDance, TikTok has 11.83 million active users in South Africa aged 18 and above.
TikTok’s ads reach nearly 29.6 per cent of the users above the age of 18 in South Africa in 2023, which is a massive jump from the previous year of just over 16 per cent.
TikTok’s ad audience in South Africa consists of 43.9 per cent male and 56.1 per cent female.
Facebook Messenger Users in South Africa (2023)
The advertisements on Facebook Messenger in South Africa reached nearly 5.15 million FB users in January 2023.
The revised data by Meta indicates that the advertising reach of Facebook Messenger is equivalent to 8.6 per cent of South Africa’s population as of January 2023.
As Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its app to only users of 13 years and above, FB Messenger Ads reach in South Africa equals 11.8 percent of the local internet users, irrespective of age.
It is worth noting that Facebook Messenger’s ad audience consists of 50.0 per cent male and 50.0 per cent female in early 2023.
LinkedIn Users in South Africa (2023)
The total number of LinkedIn users in South Africa is 11.00 million as of January 2023.
LinkedIn’s advertising reach in South Africa equals 18.3 per cent of the total population of South Africa.
LinkedIn only allows users above 18 on its platform. This means that 27.5 per cent of the population above the age of 18 in South Africa will be on LinkedIn in 2023.
The LinkedIn Ad audience in South Africa as of January 2023 consists of 51.9 per cent male and 48.1 per cent female.
Snapchat users in South Africa (2023)
Snapchat is among the highly popular social media platforms in South Africa, with 5.85 million users in early 2023.
During the first quarter of 2022, SnapChat’s ad and marketing reach stood at 9.7 per cent of South Africa’s total population.
However, only 12.9 per cent of the qualified users (above the age of 13) in South Africa are on SnapChat.
The ad audience of SnapChat in January 2023 constitutes 78.7 per cent female and 19.5 per cent male.
Twitter Users in South Africa (2023)
In the early part of 2023, Twitter’s Advertising Resources reported having 3.65 million Twitter users in South Africa.
It means that Twitter’s advertising reach in South Africa was equal to 6.1 per cent of the country’s population.
As Twitter allows only users above the age of 13, it means 8.1 per cent of the population of South Africa above the age of 13 use Twitter.
As of 2023, Twitter’s ad audience consists of 34.7 percent females and 65.3 percent males.
Conclusion
Social media has been transforming lives and businesses across the globe in the last few years, and it is no different in South Africa.
Above-mentioned South Africa’s social media statistics provide an in-depth insight into the potential of social media as a marketing and outreach platform for businesses. It is essential to categorize and channel your efforts on one or multiple of these social media platforms where your target audience is active.
It would help you make your presence felt in the South African market, enhance brand visibility and awareness, gain trust, and create a bonding with end-users, translating into higher revenue.
However, it is important to do careful research, considering the current social media statistics in South Africa, to map out an effective strategy that effectively helps you achieve your short-term and long-term business goals.
These statistics will help you review your business strategy and classify your target audience to focus on social media platforms that offer maximum exposure, brand outreach, and market visibility, depending on your niche, business goals, and target audience.
Source: Data Reportal: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-south-africa
