South Africa’s online presence is growing. With over 4 billion users making use of the internet in 2018, and Africa showing the strongest global growth rates in digital, South Africa’s numbers are quite something.
Globally, the world has a 53% penetration in terms of internet users, representing 4 billion users. Of the 4 billion internet users, 3.19 billion are active social media users- a penetration rate of 42%. In South Africa, there are 30 million internet users, a penetration rate of 54% of the population. Of this group, 18 million are active social media users. In South Africa active social media users have grown by 20% since January 2017, and overall internet users have grown by 7%. 60% of South Africans use a smartphone, compared to 24% using a laptop or desktop computer or the 12% that use a tablet computer.
Facebook remains the top dog, commanding a commendable 16 million users in South Africa. Twitter can boast with 8 million users, Instagram 3.8, and LinkedIn 6.1 million.
In regard to the time spent using internet via any device, the average time was 8 hours and 32 minutes. This time included the 2 hours 48 minutes that was the average for the time spent using social media on any device.
We can, therefore, see that internet growth and social media are fast growing environments, with a high penetration rate for internet use and social media connectivity.
Social media marketing is the process of reaching prospects and customers, and acquiring traffic and visibility through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many others. By utilizing the social aspect of the web, social media marketing is able to connect and interact on a much more personalized and dynamic level than through traditional marketing.
The value of social media
And, so what? What do these stats mean to you and your company? These stats reveal to us how and where we can target consumers. If you know the stats, you know what your target market is doing online (or whether they are online). From these statistics, we can see that users are increasingly accessing the internet, and more importantly, that they are likely doing it from their mobile phones. Mobile is a growing powerhouse that can make or break your brand. Ensure that your brand understands the value of the mobile experience and how to enhance your mobile offering.
Keeping up to date with consumers is an ongoing process that is vital to the health of your company. Social media is an invaluable tool that should be implemented with knowledge and insight.
Click here to read more about the digital trends and statistics for 2018
