The IAB South Africa and PwC internet advertising report for 2023 identifies paid search as a dominant part of the local digital advertising market, with social media also making an important contribution. The study was released in September 2024.
Its figures describe a historical market, not current platform revenue. They nevertheless help explain why decisions made by large advertising platforms can have consequences for smaller agencies, publishers and businesses.
Distribution is not ownership
Search helps businesses reach people expressing a need. Social platforms can introduce products, sustain communities and distribute creative work. Those are different commercial functions, even when both channels appear in the same advertising dashboard.
The report also discusses social communities and changing search experiences. For a publisher, an audience reached through a platform is not necessarily an audience that will return directly to the publication.
Build a channel mix around the business
Analysis: Concentrating spending on one platform can simplify execution but increases exposure to changes in auction prices, recommendation systems and reporting rules. A balanced approach starts with customer behaviour and the business’s objectives rather than copying the market’s spending split.
Direct visits, returning readers and clearly consented email relationships offer a useful counterweight to rented distribution. They do not eliminate the value of search or social; they make those channels part of a wider relationship with the audience.
The report’s main practical use is to frame the conversation about dependence and opportunity. An individual advertiser still needs its own evidence on reach quality, acquisition costs and repeat business.
Source
IAB South Africa / PwC: Internet advertising revenue report, 2023 study.