Facebook still dominates South Africa’s social media landscape

Facebook has clawed back a little of its lost lustre, while Instagram and Twitter showed declines in the number of major brands that use them as a marketing platform, according to the 2023 Social Media Landscape Report released by Ornico and World Wide Worx.

The report revealed that social media usage in South Africa is strongly connected to privilege, with consumers in higher socioeconomic levels more likely use social media. 

The local media landscape is dominated by Facebook (56.7%), followed by TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Despite challenges from US authorities, TikTok showed a steady rise in South Africa from 25% to 28%.

LinkedIn has reverted to 2020 levels, dropping from 80% to 76%. The report says expectations of growth for LinkedIn in the coming year are high.

When it comes to budget spend, marketers allocate the most to Facebook, though its overall share of budget has dropped from 58% to 43%. Instagram has fallen from 15% to 4%. 

One of 2022’s big shifts has been reversed in the 2023 report, with agencies restoring their position of who handles social media accounts. Last year agencies dropped from 27% to 16% but have come back this year to 30%. Public relations teams, however, have reversed their 2022 gains, dropping from 12% last year to 5% in 2023. The report notes that marketing departments still dominate in terms of who handles social media accounts, jumping from 31% to 33%.

More than a quarter of companies said their companies use social media to lower the cost of communication while 65% said social media delivers brand returns. The biggest benefit of social media is delivering brand awareness, according to 91% of respondents who said it delivered brand returns.

Brands have increased their experimentation with new features like short-form video; Facebook Reels, for instance, jumped from 30% to 39%.

The report revealed that live event platforms are still struggling, with only TikTok seeing growth, though off a zero base. However, 39% of brands said they would try live event platforms in the next year.

TikTok has a particularly high penetration among South Africans aged 15 and older, and, according to Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, is probably the strongest social media platform among under-15s.

Dean McCoubrey — founder of MySociaLife and creator of OneLife, a social media video news show for teens aimed at educating them about the diverse challenges and opportunities of social media — says most brands still don’t truly understand how to speak to younger social media users responsibly, while still maintaining an authentic and entertaining tone.  

“Social media is constantly evolving and brands need to consider their ethics, approach and tone with teen audiences,” he says. “The reality is that social media influence is shaping not just our information consumption but, as a consequence, our society. Education, however, has failed to provide mentorship to these younger consumers in terms of how to navigate the risks and challenges and seize the phenomenal opportunities that lie ahead in this decade. The current grade 5 cohort will matriculate in 2030, by which time the social media landscape will be driven by virtual reality and the metaverse.”  

McCoubrey adds that brands need to start bridging the generational and technological divide carefully if they hope to engage authentically with younger consumers on social media. 

The big take-out: Social media usage in South Africa is strongly connected to privilege, with consumers in higher socioeconomic levels more likely use social media.