A Top Tier-2 African Gem: Exploring South Africa
South Africa, a country as you might’ve expected, at the southern tip of Africa, doesn’t seem appealing at first glance: high unemployment, low education levels, high social inequality. And yet South Africa is the most developed country south of the Sahara.
In terms of GDP per capita, it even surpasses some European countries. That’s why it rightfully falls into Tier 2.
But stereotypes influence the fact that there isn’t as much fierce competition in this geo as in many other Tier-2 countries. Let’s take a closer look at what to focus on to succeed in this geo.
South Africa in numbers
As of today, South Africa has a population of 59 million people. High growth rates and an average age of 27 years set South Africa apart from many other countries.
The unemployment rate is only 33%, which is quite decent for an African country. Wages start at $275, with an average income reported as high as $1,324.
In South Africa, 70% of people have internet access, showing rapid growth since 2005 when it was just 5%. South Africa ranks 4th on its continent in terms of population actively using the internet being behind only Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia.
List of the biggest cities:
- Johannesburg (4.4 million people)
- Cape Town (3.8 million people)
- Durban (3.7 million people)
- Pretoria (1.8 million people)
- Port Elizabeth (1.25 million people)
- Pietermaritzburg (1 million people)
- Benoni (0.7 million people)
Out of those with internet access, 42.9% are active users. Also, 82.9% of the population uses the internet to search for information. So, advertising on search engines can reach a broader audience compared to other sources.
Internet users in South Africa spend nearly 10 hours a day online! That’s almost half of their day scrolling and waiting to see the ads they’re interested in.
97.6% of people in South Africa use smartphones and hardly any use desktops. So, it’s important to optimize pre-landers and landing pages for smartphone screens.
South Africa deals with interracial relations, about 10% of the population is white, so consider this when creating ads. The national currency is the South African Rand and the languages spoken are Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans.
Keep in mind, different languages are spoken in different parts of the country, so make sure you’ve chosen the right one before setting up your ads. It’s best to use English only in port cities or when targeting well-off “white” audiences.
Since South Africa has a resource-oriented economy, it’s safe to say that men are likely to be the more wealthy. So, focusing on them as the main audience would make sense.
Target age: 20-45 years old.
Best traffic sources:
- Facebook/Instagram
- Yahoo
- Google Ads
- TikTok
- Teasers
- Native Ads
Most popular websites:
In 2022, South Africa acknowledged cryptocurrencies as a financial product. They even announced plans to introduce their own cryptocurrency. By that time, 22% of the population was already diving into cryptocurrencies, showing a growing interest in investing.
In South Africa, sports are a big deal, and people take real pride in their teams. Plus, they’re all about celebrating local talents who’ve made it big in business, music, and movies.
Here are some popular figures in South Africa:
Elon Musk – Businessman and blogger.
Charlize Theron – Actress and producer.
Mark Shuttleworth – Entrepreneur and second space tourist.
Wayde van Niekerk – World champion sprinter in 2016.
Ninja – Musician in the band “Die Antwoord”.
Yolandi Visser – Musician in the band “Die Antwoord”.
Additional Information
Popular Banks:
- ABSA
- Standard Bank
- Nedbank
- FirstRand
- Capitec
- TymeBank
Popular TV Channels:
- ADBN
- Adonai TV
- Amen TV
- Ami TV
South Africa is a top spot in Africa with a big population and cheap traffic. Locals are all about making big profits, yet they spend 10 hours a day glued to their smartphones. Isn’t that a sign to dive into South Africa?