This statistic presents the social networking reach in South Africa from 2017 to 2026. In 2021, roughly ** percent of the internet population in the country accessed social media. In 2026, this share is projected to reach ***** percent.

This statistic shows the number of social network users in South Africa from 2017 to 2026. In 2019, there were approximately 30 million social network users in South Africa, and this figure is projected to grow to 40.77 million users in 2026.

As of 2022, most South African companies reported that marketing was managing their social media platforms in recent years. Nevertheless, it registered a noticeable decrease after 2020. Some ** percent of account managers were Individuals in 2022, which was ** percent less than the previous year. Moreover, ** percent of the companies had agencies managing their social media accounts.

South Africans spent, on average, ***** hours and ** minutes on social media as of the third quarter of 2021. Since 2017, time spent in South Africa on social media has been increasing yearly, starting at *** hours ** minutes in 2017.

This statistic presents the social network penetration in South Africa. As of the third quarter 2017, ** percent of the population were active with social media users. The most popular social platform was social messenger WhatsApp with a ** percent penetration rate.

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

How much time do people spend on social media?

              As of 2024, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 143 minutes per day, down from 151 minutes in the previous year. Currently, the country with the most time spent on social media per day is Brazil, with online users spending an average of three hours and 49 minutes on social media each day. In comparison, the daily time spent with social media in
              the U.S. was just two hours and 16 minutes. Global social media usageCurrently, the global social network penetration rate is 62.3 percent. Northern Europe had an 81.7 percent social media penetration rate, topping the ranking of global social media usage by region. Eastern and Middle Africa closed the ranking with 10.1 and 9.6 percent usage reach, respectively.
              People access social media for a variety of reasons. Users like to find funny or entertaining content and enjoy sharing photos and videos with friends, but mainly use social media to stay in touch with current events friends. Global impact of social mediaSocial media has a wide-reaching and significant impact on not only online activities but also offline behavior and life in general.
              During a global online user survey in February 2019, a significant share of respondents stated that social media had increased their access to information, ease of communication, and freedom of expression. On the flip side, respondents also felt that social media had worsened their personal privacy, increased a polarization in politics and heightened everyday distractions.

This statistic provides information on the penetration of Facebook in South Africa from 2017 to 2026. In 2026, it is expected that roughly ** percent of the internet population in South Africa will be accessing the social network.

This statistic shows the number of Facebook users in South Africa from 2017 to 2026. In 2026 the number of Facebook users in South Africa is expected to reach 35.92 million, up from 25.4 million users in 2020.

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 October 2025, 6.04 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, which amounted to 73.2 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.66 billion, or 68.7 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 2025. 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 10-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 considerable usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group of 15 to 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.

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

As of February 2025, nearly ** percent of the internet users in Morocco used WhatsApp each month. Facebook and Facebook Messenger ranked as the second and third most popular social media platforms in the country, with a share of **** percent and **** percent, respectively. Social media users keep increasing With the rising internet penetration rate and mobile internet adoption, the use of social media has increased in Morocco in recent years. In 2025, social media users in the country amounted to around **** million. This marked a steady growth over the previous years, rising from around ** million in 2017 to ** million in 2022, before experiencing a decline. As the most popular social media platform, Facebook accounted for about 25.89 million users in 2025, with the number being forecast to increase to more than ** million by 2028. In comparison, approximately *** million people actively used Instagram in 2025, and it is projected to reach **** million in 2026. Sending messages is the primary online activity Among the different types of social media, Moroccans regularly used instant messenger platforms, such as WhatsApp, and social networks like Facebook as of 2023. In contrast, consumer review networks and discussion forums were the least used platforms. In the same year, the most popular activities among Moroccan social media users were sending private messages, commenting on posts, liking other users’ posts, and following people. As of 2023, users in Morocco spent an average of * hours and * hours and ** minutes per day on social media. The average time was lower than in other African countries such as Nigeria (* hours and ** minutes) and South Africa (* hours and ** minutes).

Abstract

Research ICT Africa (RIA) is a non-profit, public interest, research entity which undertakes research on how information and communication technologies are being accessed and used in African countries. The aim is to measure the impact on lifestyles and livelihoods of people and households and to understand how informal businesses can prosper through the use of ICTs. This research can facilitate informed policy-making for improved access, use and application of ICT for social development and economic growth. RIA collects both supply-side and demand-side data. On the demand-side nationally representative surveys are conducted on ICT use and demand in African countries. This survey dataset consists of data collected by household and business surveys conducted in 9 African countries in 2017 and 2018.

Geographic coverage

National coverage, the survey was conducted in Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Tunisia.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The data is nationally representative on a household and individual level for individuals 16 years of age or older.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The random sampling was performed in four steps for households and businesses, and five steps for individuals. • Step 1: The national census sample frames was split into urban and rural Enumerator areas (EAs). • Step 2: EAs were sampled for each stratum using probability proportional to size (PPS). • Step 3: For each EA two listings were compiled, one for households and one for businesses. The listings serve as sample frame for the simple random sections. • Step 4: 24 Households and 10 businesses were sampled using simple random sample for each selected EA. • Step 5: From all household members 15 years or older or visitors staying the night at the house one was randomly selected based on simple random sampling.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire consisted of 16 modules. - Admin (enumerator completes it before Interviewing the Household) - Household Roster, list all household members 15 years or older - Household Roster, list all household members 14 years or younger - Household Attributes - Demographic Information - Income and Expenditure - Social Activities - Mobile Phone - No Mobile Phone - Mobile Money - Internet - No Internet Use - Social Media - No Social Media - Micro work - Household Attributes of Visitor

The number of Instagram users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 39.1 million users (+57.16 percent). After the sixth consecutive increasing year, the Instagram user base is estimated to reach 107.54 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 Europe and Caribbean.

The number of Facebook users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 141.6 million users (+56.79 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Facebook user base is estimated to reach 390.94 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Facebook users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform facebook, 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 Facebook users in countries like Europe and Asia.

The population share with mobile internet access in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 21.7 percentage points. After the eighteenth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 46.22 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. 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 Caribbean and Europe.

The number of Twitter users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 28.1 million users (+100.75 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Twitter user base is estimated to reach 55.96 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of Twitter users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform twitter, 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).Find more key insights for the number of Twitter users in countries like Australia & Oceania and North America.

The number of internet users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 327.8 million users (+51.52 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 964.1 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of internet users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the estimated number of individuals in the country or region at hand, that use the internet. As the datasource clarifies, connection quality and usage frequency are distinct aspects, not taken into account here.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 internet users in countries like Europe and the Americas.

The number of Youtube users in Africa was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.03 million users (+3.95 percent). The Youtube user base is estimated to amount to 0.79 million users in 2029. User figures, shown here regarding the platform youtube, 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).Find more key insights for the number of Youtube users in countries like Worldwide and the Americas.