As of *************, Facebook was the most popular social media platform in South Africa. Some ********** users had an account on the platform. This number stayed constant in 2024. Moreover, Messenger and LinkedIn followed with almost ************ and ************ users, respectively.

The number of active social media users in South Africa reached 26 million as of January 2024. Compared to eight years prior, this represented roughly a 2.5 times increase from 9.8 million users in 2014. Further, WhatsApp was the most popular social media platform in the country as of the third quarter of 2023.

WhatsApp is the most popular social media in South Africa. As of the third quarter of 2023, some 94 percent of internet users in the country used the messaging app. Facebook and Tiktok followed, with a penetration rate of around 88 percent and 74 percent, respectively. The potential audience of Facebook that can be reached with advertisements amounted to 22.2 million. Internet and social media users keep increasing The number of internet users in South Africa has registered a growth since 2018. In 2022, some 48.4 million South Africans accessed the internet, compared to 36 million four years earlier. Consequently, active social media users also faced a boom in number. By January 2022, individuals actively using social media platforms increased to 28 million, nearly three times higher than in 2014. Mobile phones dominate internet access In 2022, 47.8 million South Africans used mobile devices to surf the internet. Mobile phones were the main devices used to access the internet in the country. As of the third quarter of 2021, 96 percent of the internet users used them to connect to the internet, while 86.2 percent used a laptop or desktop computer to be online. Furthermore, mobile phones generated close to 79 percent of the web traffic as of late 2022

The number of Instagram users in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 2.5 million users (+44.64 percent). After the fifth consecutive increasing year, the Instagram user base is estimated to reach 8.12 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. User figures, shown here with regards to the platform instagram, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Instagram users in countries like Botswana and Lesotho.

The number of snapchat users in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 5.7 million users (+63.33 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the snapchat user base is estimated to reach 14.69 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of snapchat users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The user numbers, depicted here regarding the platform Snapchat, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of LinkedIn users in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 2.7 million users (+28.75 percent). After the eighth consecutive increasing year, the LinkedIn user base is estimated to reach 12.04 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. User figures, shown here with regards to the platform LinkedIn, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of LinkedIn users in countries like Lesotho and Botswana.

The number of households with internet access in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 3.5 million households (+27.76 percent). After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the number of households is estimated to reach 16.11 million households and therefore a new peak in 2029. Depicted is the number of housholds with internet access in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of households with internet access in countries like Botswana and Lesotho.

The population share with mobile internet access in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 16.7 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 38.27 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the population share with mobile internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Lesotho and Botswana.

As of January 2024, women in the age group of 25 to 34 years accounted for 15.8 percent of social media users in South Africa. This was higher compared to 14.9 percent for men in the same age bracket. Female young adults aged 13 to 17 years also accounted for 15.8 percent of social media audiences in South Africa. In all age groups, the share of women users was higher (except individuals between 35 and 44).

As of January 2024, the countries in Northern and Southern Africa had the largest share of social media users in Africa. In Northern Africa, around 40.4 percent of the population used social media, while this figure stood at 41.6 percent in Southern Africa. In Central Africa, only close to ten percent of the people used social media, the lowest rate across Africa and the lowest regional share worldwide. Internet penetration is growing, but varies across African regions On the African continent, two regions recorded a higher internet penetration than the global average. As of January 2023, Southern and Northern Africa registered a penetration share of 71 percent and 66 percent among their populations, respectively. Central and Eastern Africa had, in contrast, significantly lower rates, marking 28 percent and 23 percent, respectively . In absolute numbers, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa topped the list. Connected through mobile phones Mobile phones dominated web traffic in Africa. Compared to the world average, Africa, Asia, and South America had a higher share of web page visits conducted through mobile internet. As of January 2023, around 74 percent of the continent's traffic generated on web pages was through mobile devices. Although mobile phones were responsible for most of the online presence in Africa, the continent was behind all other regions in mobile coverage. Around 17 percent of the total population lived out of reach from a mobile connection as of 2021.

The number of WhatsApp users in South Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 3.6 million users (+19.63 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach 21.92 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

As of January 2024, there were 45.34 million active internet users in South Africa. According to the same report, close to 26 million internet users in the country used social media, around 42.8 percent of the total population. The future of internet usage in South Africa: projected growth and mobile dominance South Africa's digital population grew significantly during the last decade. In 2023, almost 44 million people were connected to the internet, up from around 25 million in 2013. Furthermore, the majority of the South African population, specifically 78.7 percent, utilized mobile devices to access the internet in 2022. This proportion will increase to over 90 percent by 2027. Additionally, the number of mobile internet users in South Africa was almost 47.8 million in 2022. Social media usage in South Africa: popularity and demographics The country's most popular social media platform during the third quarter of 2022 was Meta’s instant messaging application WhatsApp. Facebook and Instagram ranked second and third among South African internet users. Moreover, a closer look into the demographics of social media users in the country reveals that people between the ages of 25 to 34 years made up the highest share of users in South Africa.

As of January 2025, Northern and Western Europe were the regions with the highest social network penetration rates globally, reaching 78.7 and 77.1 percent, respectively. Eastern Asia ranked third with a penetration rate of 76 percent, followed by Southern Europe with 74.2 percent. In contrast, Eastern and Middle Africa were the regions with the lowest reach, with 11.1 and 10.1 percent. Overall, the global average was 63.9 percent, which translates to almost six out of every ten people around the world using social networks. The regions below the global average were located in Africa and Asia, as well as Oceania and the Caribbean. Global social media use In 2023, 4.89 billion people around the world were using social media, and the number of users is projected to continue rising to almost six billion by 2027. Meta’s Facebook is the most popular social media network globally, with more than three billion monthly active users (MAU). Meta Platforms owns four of the ten leading social media networks globally, each with more than one billion MAU: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Social Media Usage, by country As of January 2024, the UAE had the highest social media penetration rate out of selected countries and territories. Brazil and Morocco were close to the global average of 62.3 percent, with 66.3 and 55.7 percent, respectively, while Kenya reached only 23.5 percent. Although India’s active social media penetration rate was below average at 32.2 percent, the country had the second largest social media audience in the world, with 755 million social media users in 2022.

The number of snapchat users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 40.3 million users (+52.07 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the snapchat user base is estimated to reach 117.68 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of snapchat users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The user numbers, depicted here regarding the platform Snapchat, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of snapchat users in countries like Asia and Australia & Oceania.

The number of LinkedIn users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 37 million users (+68.13 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the LinkedIn user base is estimated to reach 91.29 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of LinkedIn users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here with regards to the platform LinkedIn, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of LinkedIn users in countries like South America and Caribbean.

** percent of South African respondents answer our survey on "Most used media services" with "Digital video content (download / streaming)". The survey was conducted in 2024, among ***** consumers.

The number of Reddit users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 4.7 million users (+66.67 percent). After the eighth consecutive increasing year, the Reddit user base is estimated to reach 11.78 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Reddit users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here with regards to the platform reddit, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once. Reddit users encompass both users that are logged in and those that are not.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Reddit users in countries like North America and Asia.

As of February 2025, 5.56 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, which amounted to 67.9 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.24 billion, or 63.9 percent of the world's population, were social media users. Global internet usage Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern information society. Northern Europe ranked first among worldwide regions by the share of the population using the internet in 20254. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of February 2025. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 1.34 billion at the latest count. Southern Asia ranked second, with around 1.2 billion internet users. China, India, and the United States rank ahead of other countries worldwide by the number of internet users. Worldwide internet user demographics As of 2024, the share of female internet users worldwide was 65 percent, five percent less than that of men. Gender disparity in internet usage was bigger in African countries, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller usage gap between these two genders. As of 2024, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years old across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15–24 years was 79 percent. The income level of the countries was also an essential factor for internet access, as 93 percent of the population of the countries with high income reportedly used the internet, as opposed to only 27 percent of the low-income markets.

Most Facebook users in South Africa were between 25 and 34 years as of December 2024. Of those, men with Facebook accounts in this age group represented ** percent of the total users, against **** percent for women. Furthermore, South Africans aged 18-24 were the second largest group using Facebook, with more women than men.

As of December 2024, there were roughly *** million Instagram users in South Africa, which accounted for nearly ** percent of the country's total population. Overall, the majority of Meta's Instagram were women, accounting for **** percent of all users. The social media platform was most popular with those aged between 18 and 24 years.