South Africa’s Favourite Social Media Platforms
In a country whose people are wildly unique, it’s no surprise that our social media differs vastly from the rest of the world. We take a look at how South Africans use social media and how you can use this data to better influence your social media marketing efforts.
Facebook: Everyone’s Favourite
According to World Wide Worx and locals Ornico, approximately 16 million South Africans are currently active on Facebook. This is equal to about 29% of the population! Although the platform has taken a dive in the international space, it firmly holds its position as the most used social media platform in South Africa.

Twitter: Second in Show
Maybe it’s because this is where all the drama happens, or because of the platform’s quick and easy way to communicate and share news. We believe it’s a little bit of both that secures Twitter the number two spot for Saffa social media users. Approximately 8 million South African’s spend their time on Twitter.
LinkedIn: An Unexpected Spot in the Top 3
Largely favoured among corporates, studies show that LinkedIn is used by 6.1 million South Africans. Surprised? So are we. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are unlocking the value of LinkedIn as an awareness and recruitment platform, taking the platform to number 3 on our list.
Instagram: Yes, it’s Actually Less Popular than LinkedIn
Although it might seem that everyone’s on Insta, this photo sharing app is only ranked 6th in the world and 4th in our rainbow nation. In South Africa only 3.8 million users are active on Instagram. The biggest influencing factor here is the high cost of mobile data, something that Instagram uses a lot of.
Honourable Mention: YouTube
South Africa’s favourite video platform, YouTube attracts approximately 8 million local users. Mainly used by South Africans to consume videos, the platform is put out of the running for a top spot on the list of otherwise fully-engaged social media platforms.

Other Social Media Platforms in South Africa
Pinterest, WeChat and Google + hardly feature as social media platforms that South Africans actively use and engage with. Personal use seems to be the main focus of these platforms, and brands are better off spending their time and money on the top 4 platforms mentioned on this list. Oh, remember Snapchat? The “Fastest Growing Social Media Platform in the World”? Yeah, neither do we…
Understanding where your target social audience spend their time is crucial to make your social media marketing efforts successful. Need to know more? Keep your eyes on our blog for more social media news or get in touch with one of our friendly team members to learn more about social media marketing.