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Daily Maverick
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
South Africa's Social Media Landscape 2025: The Rise of Digital Doubles and the Fall of Familiar Giants
Ornico, in collaboration with World Wide Worx and Ask Africa, has released the 15th annual edition of the Social Media Landscape Report. The 2025 report, themed 'The Era of Digital Doubles,' explores how South Africans are changing the way they use social media, why trust in platforms is declining, and what brands are doing to adapt to a more fragmented digital environment. The report reveals that while social media remains central to daily life and marketing strategy, user behaviour has matured. Many South Africans, particularly younger users, are rethinking their relationship with social platforms. This shift is influencing how brands approach social media, moving from blanket presence to more selective, strategic engagement. Audiences are more selective For the first time, data shows a decline in daily or weekly usage across some of the most established platforms. Facebook's highly active user base dropped from 53.8 percent in 2023 to 51.2 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, TikTok's daily and weekly usage climbed to 32.4 percent, up from 25.1 percent the previous year. These numbers suggest that novelty is no longer enough. Users are seeking relevance and value from their time online. The youth, once the heartbeat of social media, are now the most sceptical. They are turning away from platforms that no longer serve their needs or reflect their identity, favouring short-form, immersive, and purpose-driven content. Brands are shifting focus As audiences change their habits, brands are also evolving. According to the report, 57 percent of surveyed organisations have adopted formal social media strategies, with a clear focus on both B2C and B2B outcomes. LinkedIn has become the most utilised platform by brands in South Africa, used by 85 percent of organisations, surpassing Facebook at 83 percent and Instagram at 73 percent. YouTube is also widely used, with 63 percent of brands creating content there. TikTok, reflecting its rapid rise in cultural relevance, is now used by nearly half of all brands surveyed. Marketers are also exploring growth in niche platforms. Pinterest, Telegram, and Reddit all reported increased local usage over the past year, offering fresh spaces for brands to connect with focused communities. Constraints and challenges remain Despite broad adoption and strategic planning, many marketers continue to face serious challenges. Forty percent of organisations cited budget constraints as a key issue. Others reported time limitations, staffing shortages, and difficulty securing executive support. Only a third of organisations expect to increase their budgets this year, suggesting a cautious and disciplined approach to digital investment. Measurement practices are also evolving. Marketers are shifting back toward traditional engagement metrics like likes and shares, but are increasingly incorporating sentiment analysis to better understand brand health and audience perception. Conversion tracking remains a challenge, particularly on newer platforms like TikTok and X, prompting a more balanced approach to assessing return on investment. Where to access the report For professionals working in marketing, media, communications, or strategy, the Social Media Landscape Report 2025 offers a grounded, data-backed view of where audiences are, how they are behaving, and what brands need to do next. DM About Ornico Ornico provides reputation, media, advertising and brand research with a suite of products that includes Brand Intelligence® across the African continent. It does this to help marketers and brand owners make sense of the flood of information that occupies traditional and social media. By collecting and analysing media data across many channels, Ornico informs brand owners and marketing decision makers about the most important strategic decisions they'll ever make regarding their brands. From editorial and advertising monitoring services, social media analytics to advanced brand research, Ornico provides a holistic and independent view of brand performance as reflected by television, radio, print media as well as social and digital media.
IOL News
30-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Is TikTok overtaking Facebook and WhatsApp in South Africa's social media landscape?
Despite ongoing concerns over TikTok's monetisation practices for African content creators, the Chinese-owned platform continues to expand its reach in South Africa. Image: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP Despite ongoing concerns over TikTok's monetisation practices for African content creators, the Chinese-owned platform continues to expand its reach in South Africa. According to the newly released Ornico and World Wide Worx Social Media Landscape Report 2025, TikTok's user reach in the country rose from 34.0% in 2023 to 38.6% in 2024. The Ornico and World Wide Worx Social Media Landscape Report is an annual study that provides insights into how South Africans engage with social media platforms. "Amid this shift in user mindset, clear platform-specific trends have emerged. TikTok has surged ahead as the platform of choice for habitual short-video consumption, reflecting its dominance in entertainment and youth culture," the report said. Earlier this year, IOL reported that Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, urged TikTok to also implement its monetisation programs for South African content creators. Currently, features such as the Creator Fund and TikTok Shop remain largely unavailable across Africa, even though they have been rolled out in regions like the US, Europe, and parts of Asia. In contrast, Facebook's user penetration declined from 59.6% to 56.2%, with its daily and weekly active user rates dropping from 53.8% to 51.2%. "On the other hand, Facebook continues a steady decline in use and relevance across virtually all demographics, mirroring changing tastes and a perception that it offers diminishing value. For instance, its overall user penetration fell from 59.6% in 2023 to 56.2% in 2024, and even its highly active user base contracted from 53.8% to 51.2%. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ While WhatsApp remains the most widely used messaging app, it also experienced a slight decline amid growing competition from Telegram, which increased its penetration from 10.3% to 13.0%. "In the messaging arena, WhatsApp remains the most widely used messaging app by far, with a majority of South Africans using it daily. However, even WhatsApp is showing cracks: its penetration has dipped slightly as the market slowly diversifies," the report noted. The report also revealed that South Africans are becoming more selective about how they use social media, with fewer people feeling the need to check their feeds every day. Professional networking site LinkedIn has also gained users, with penetration rising from 12.2% to 15.8%, and more frequent use. while, smaller platforms like Pinterest and Reddit are also growing. "In parallel, LinkedIn has gained ground among professionals, expanding its influence in networking and B2B marketing. Its penetration grew from 12.2% to 15.8%, and high-frequency use rose from 6.6% to 10.3%, reflecting more regular engagement on the platform. On the business side, the report also noted that 57% of companies now have clear social media plans for both customers and other businesses, with TikTok becoming popular for marketing, with 47% of brands using it. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL
