Social media stats in South Africa in 2022

Just like everywhere else on planet Earth, social media is growing rapidly in South Africa. In fact, there are now more than 30 million active social media users in the country, and this number is expected to continue to grow in the years ahead.

This presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses in South Africa, as they seek to reach and engage with these consumers online. As social media usage continues to grow in South Africa, it’s important for businesses to stay up-to-date on the latest statistics and trends. This will help them better understand how to reach and engage with their target audiences online.

In this post, we’ll answer some of the most commonly asked questions about social media statistics in South Africa in 2022, and offer some pointers for how businesses can leverage them. Let’s dive in!

Which social media platform is most popular in South Africa?

Currently, Facebook is still the most widely used social platform in South Africa. In 2022, nearly 30 million South Africans have an account on Facebook. This is followed by…

YouTube: 25,3 million

LinkedIn: 10,2 million

Instagram: 6,8 million

TikTok: 6,4 million

Twitter: 2,85 million

How many people in South Africa have social media?

Over 30 million South Africans are now active on social media, thanks mostly to falling data costs and an uptick in internet usage during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s nearly half of the population – 48.8% – up from 41.9% (25 million users) in 2020.

The fastest growing social media platforms in South Africa are LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.

Which age group uses social media the most in South Africa?

Stats are not currently available for all channels, but seeing Facebook is still the most popular social media in South Africa, this can give us a good idea. As of 2022, the largest age demographic in SA using social media are people between the ages of 25 and 34.

Data source

It’s worth remembering that newer platforms like TikTok tend to attract younger audiences.

How many South Africans are on TikTok?

TikTok is particularly interesting for marketers for a number of reasons. One of the newest platforms, it already has over 6.4 million users in South Africa, mainly aged between 15 to 34. And of that 6.4 million, roughly 6 million use the app every single day. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the platform has seen a 25% increase in the number of brands using it for marketing.

What percentage of South Africans are on social media?

South Africa reached an interesting milestone in 2022, with the number of social media users climbing to 50% of the population this year, according to the 2022 SA Social Media Landscape report by Ornico Media Monitoring and World Wide Worx. The majority of those users are accessing the internet via a smartphone.

What percentage of South Africans use WhatsApp?

WhatsApp’s user base in South Africa grew from 9.1 million in 2021, to 9.9 million in 2022. The messaging platform’s reach is expected to hit nearly 11.5 million by 2025, according to Statista. With the South African population currently at about 59.3 million, that means roughly 17% of South Africans use WhatsApp in 2022.

How many teenagers use social media in South Africa?

Teenagers in the 13-to-17-year age bracket make up about 10.4% of social media users in South Africa. (5.6% female and 4.8% male). If trends in the USA is anything to go by, TikTok is rapidly replacing other forms of social media, especially Facebook, as the go-to platform for teenagers.

How much time do South Africans spend on social media?

The short answer is: a lot! You might be surprised to learn that South Africa ranks 4^th in the world in terms of total time spent online per day. And when it comes to social media, the figures are pretty astonishing too. The average South African spends over 52,000 minutes on social media each year – about 36 days and 18 hours in total!

How many South Africans are online?

As of January 2022, there were an estimated 41.19 million South Africans with internet access. For context, just 2.4 million were online in 2000.

How many South Africans are on Instagram?

In 2022, Instagram is used by 6.8 million South Africans, accounting for 11.3% of the population. The rise in this platform’s popularity is evident if you go back just one year to 2021, when there were just 5.4 million South African Instagrammers.

What is the most used social media platform in Africa?

Across the African continent as a whole, Facebook is still way out in front, with 82.2% of total market share. One of the reasons behind this is that even when users run out of data, they can still use a 20MB ‘free mode’ to stay in touch with friends and family via Messenger, sans any images or video content.

Which age group uses Instagram the most in South Africa?

In South Africa, Instagram is most popular among those aged between 18 and 24, making up around 30.8% of the country’s Instagrammers. However, the 25 – 34-year-olds are very close behind indeed, at 30.3%.

How many South Africans are on Twitter?

As of Feb 2022, there were 2.85 million South Africans on Twitter, nearly 5% of the population. For marketers, it’s important to bear in mind that even though that sounds like a small portion of the SA audience, Twitter’s conversational format and ease of engagement can be useful for the right brands.

How many South Africans use LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is another platform which is enjoying strong growth among South African users. As of May 2022, there were just over 10.2 million South Africans on LinkedIn, an increase of 1.62 million users since January of 2021.

Key takeaways for brands and marketers

• While the use of Facebook is falling, especially among younger audiences, it’s still by far the most dominant social media platform across South Africa and the African continent.
• Brands keen to engage younger audiences should look to establish a presence on TikTok and Instagram.
• B2B brands may find Twitter and LinkedIn to be the best platforms to focus on.
• South Africans spend more time on social media than many developed nations, indicating its importance to the average citizen.