The Most Comprehensive Structured Benchmark of South Africa’s Creator Economy
Powered by Lit.africa
Analysing:
20,000+ registered South African creators
64.7% structured demographic coverage
Multi-format pricing benchmarks
Engagement performance across tiers
Cost-per-engagement efficiency
Geographic and category distribution
All performance metrics calculated using a 35% trimmed mean methodology to ensure statistical stability and remove extreme outliers.Data as at17 March 2026 - a snapshot of every creator on Lit.africa on that date
Correction (October 2026): this edition's cost per engagement (CPE) figures were understated by a calculation error - the true values are roughly 2.9x those shown. Engagement rates are per view (interactions divided by views). Both are corrected from the Q3 2026 edition onwards.
A Quarterly Industry Index
The South African Influencer Marketing Index will be released quarterly to track engagement trends, pricing shifts, format performance, and structural changes within the national creator economy.
Executive Summary
South African Influencer Marketing Index
Q1 2026
The South African Influencer Marketing Index – Q1 2026 represents one of the most comprehensive structured analyses of the country’s creator economy to date.
This edition analyses data from 20,000+ registered South African creators - 13,000+ of them with structured demographic data - covering engagement, pricing, equipment, and audience intelligence collected through Lit.africa.
All performance benchmarks in this report are calculated using a 35% trimmed mean methodology, ensuring statistical stability by removing extreme outliers and reflecting central market performance.
This report establishes national benchmarks across creator demographics, engagement behaviour, pricing, cost efficiency, content formats, equipment adoption, and geographic distribution.
Market Composition
South Africa’s creator economy is structurally defined by youth, female participation, and metropolitan concentration:
57.02% of creators are aged 18–24
34.54% are aged 25–34
84.46% are female
45.41% are based in Gauteng
Johannesburg alone accounts for 24.79% of all creators, reinforcing Gauteng as the dominant creator hub. Durban follows at 19.49% and Pretoria represents 16.60%
The ecosystem is therefore overwhelmingly Gen Z and young Millennial–driven, highly urbanised, and strongly concentrated in Gauteng.
Engagement Benchmarks by Tier
Engagement Rate per View (35% Trimmed Mean):
Nano: 9.1%
Micro: 10.5%
Mid: 7.4%
Macro: 8.2%
Mega: 7.0%
Micro creators deliver the strongest central engagement intensity, while Nano creators follow close behind.
Smaller tiers remain highly effective for community-driven and product engagement campaigns.
Cost Efficiency by Audience Size
Cost Per Engagement (CPE):
Nano: R6.90
Micro: R2.40
Mid: R0.70
Macro: R0.29
Mega: R0.16
A clear inverse relationship exists between audience size and cost efficiency. While smaller creators generate stronger engagement percentages, larger creators deliver significantly lower cost-per-engagement at scale.
This bifurcation creates two distinct strategic pathways:
Smaller creators for engagement intensity
Larger creators for scalable cost efficiency
Pricing & Format Dynamics
Short-form video formats command premium pricing across categories and provinces.
YouTube scales aggressively at Macro and Mega tiers
Static Facebook posts remain the most budget-efficient format
Format selection materially impacts campaign cost structure and performance expectations.
Category & Geographic Insights
Premium CPE verticals include:
Wellness & Self-Care: R2.20
Travel & Adventure: R2.03
Lower-cost verticals include:
Entertainment: R1.51
Gauteng leads in creator volume and pricing benchmarks, while regional provinces present emerging cost-efficiency opportunities for geographically targeted campaigns.
Market Maturity Indicators
51.3% of creators report earning below R10,000 per month
73.4% report using dedicated lighting equipment
28% use professional DJI microphones
Mirrorless cameras and iPhone devices dominate production
The ecosystem shows increasing professionalisation in content production, while income maturity remains in early development stages.
Q1 2026 Conclusion
The South African influencer market is now measurable, structured, and performance-driven.
Engagement intensity remains strongest within smaller tiers, while cost efficiency improves dramatically at scale. Video-first formats dominate pricing premiums, and Gauteng continues to anchor national creator density.
The South African Influencer Marketing Index will be released quarterly to track performance shifts, pricing movements, and structural evolution across the national creator economy.
Methodology & Data Transparency
About This Report
The State of South African Influencer Marketing Q1 2026 marks the first release in Lit.africa's quarterly industry index.
This report analyses structured data from 20,000+ registered South African creators, representing one of the largest organised influencer datasets in the country.
Of these creators, 64.7% have provided verified demographic and structural data, enabling statistically meaningful analysis across:
Engagement performance
Cost per engagement (CPE)
Creator pricing
Category benchmarks
Geographic distribution
Demographic composition
This report reflects Q1 2026 platform activity and represents a standardized benchmark for evaluating influencer marketing performance in South Africa.
Why a Quarterly Index?
Influencer marketing is evolving rapidly:
Pricing fluctuates
Engagement patterns shift
Categories rise and fall
Geographic density changes
Creator reliability improves over time
A quarterly release allows the market to track:
Performance trendlines
Pricing inflation or deflation
Engagement stability
Regional shifts
Category growth
Over time, this index will provide longitudinal insight into how the South African creator economy is maturing.
Methodology Overview
All performance metrics in this report are calculated using a:
35% Trimmed Mean (Centralized Mean)
Values are sorted and only the central 35% are averaged - the highest and lowest values on either side are excluded before calculating performance benchmarks.
Why this approach?
Influencer performance data is naturally skewed due to:
Viral outlier posts
Low-performing anomalies
Paid amplification spikes
Platform algorithm volatility
The trimmed mean provides:
Stable benchmarks
Reduced distortion from extreme outliers
A more reliable representation of central market performance
Greater quarter-to-quarter comparability
All engagement rates, pricing, and cost-per-engagement values in this report reflect this standardized calculation method.
Data Coverage & Representation
This report is based on:
20,000+ registered creators on Lit.africa
64.7% with structured demographic and profile data
All registered creators as at 17 March 2026
Organic engagement metrics
As Lit continues to expand its structured data collection and engagement tracking infrastructure, future reports will incorporate:
True post-level engagement tracking
Audience demographic distributions
Audience geography insights
Engagement authenticity metrics
Platform-level engagement comparisons
These expanded datasets will be introduced progressively in upcoming quarterly editions.
Influencer Map of South Africa by Province
Share of creators
Tap or hover a province
LowerHigher
Not enough data (fewer than 20 creators)
South Africa by province, Q1 2026
Province
Share of creators
Typical TikTok Reel price
Typical Instagram Reel price
Typical Instagram Post price
Cost per engagement
Gauteng
45.4%
R3,746
R3,657
R3,186
R2.03
KwaZulu-Natal
17.8%
R3,424
R7,558
R2,876
R1.67
Western Cape
10.2%
R3,399
R3,820
R2,581
R2.54
Eastern Cape
6.2%
R2,776
R5,500
R2,737
R1.61
Mpumalanga
5.9%
R3,569
R3,083
R1,935
R2.20
Limpopo
4.8%
R1,892
R1,540
R3,919
R1.46
Free State
4.2%
R2,587
R2,750
R2,100
R1.75
North West
3.7%
R2,570
R4,000
R1,677
R1.71
Northern Cape
1.0%
R4,571
R1,400
R2,000
R1.08
Influencer Demographics in South Africa
AI Insight: A clear demographic profile emerges: the influencer community is overwhelmingly young (18–34), female and Black, based in major urban centres (Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, Cape Town) and predominantly English-speaking. Most hold only secondary or vocational qualifications, work outside formal employment, earn under R10 000 per month, and lack personal transport, indicating a budget-sensitive, flexibility-driven creator pool.
Ages
Over 90% of influencers are aged between 18 and 34, with 57% in the 18–24 bracket and 35% in the 25–34 range. Creators aged 35 and above account for just 6% of the pool. Under-18s and those over 45 together make up less than 3%.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
<18
222
1.69%
18-24
7,471
57.02%
25-34
4,526
34.54%
35-44
728
5.56%
45+
155
1.18%
Genders
Among known profiles, female influencers dominate at roughly 84.5% while males make up about 15.5%. This reflects a predominantly female-driven creator community in this segment. The enriched sample covers 12 999 influencers.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Female
10,979
84.46%
Male
2,020
15.54%
Education
Among influencers with known education, almost half have completed high school while roughly 30% hold a vocational or professional certificate. Nearly a quarter possess a university degree, and only about one percent have postgraduate qualifications. This profile indicates a creator base dominated by high school and certificate holders, with advanced degrees remaining uncommon.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Highschool
5,686
43.83%
Certificate
3,995
30.80%
Degree
3,119
24.04%
Masters Degree
159
1.23%
Doctorate
13
0.10%
Employment
Roughly three-quarters of influencers with known data are not in formal employment, while just over a quarter hold traditional jobs. This suggests a significant portion of creators may be dedicating full attention to content production. The result points to a predominantly flexible influencer community.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Unemployed
9,656
74.43%
Employed
3,318
25.57%
Transport
Transport availability is recorded for just 18.8% of influencers, while 81.2% report no transport. This indicates that the vast majority of creators operate without transport arrangements. Transport-equipped influencers therefore represent a relatively small segment of the overall pool.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
No
10,525
81.17%
Yes
2,441
18.83%
Race
Black influencers represent about 90% of the known creator base, making them the overwhelmingly dominant demographic. Coloured and White profiles account for roughly 6% and 3%, respectively, while Indian and other groups each contribute under 2%. This distribution points to a creator community heavily concentrated within the Black demographic.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Black
11,704
89.99%
Coloured
737
5.67%
White
351
2.70%
Indian
150
1.15%
Other
64
0.49%
Language
English-language creators dominate at roughly 76% of known profiles, with Zulu coming in a distant second at just under 10% and Xhosa at about 4%. All other local languages account for less than 3% each, underscoring a strong English focus among influencers. This concentration suggests that while Zulu offers the next-largest pool, campaigns aiming for broader linguistic reach will find limited creator availability beyond these two.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
English
9,700
76.07%
Zulu
1,248
9.79%
Xhosa
501
3.93%
Tswana
322
2.53%
Sotho
222
1.74%
Sesotho
200
1.57%
Tsonga
187
1.47%
Swati
135
1.06%
Northern
127
1.00%
Afrikaans
110
0.86%
Income
Influencers earning below R10 000 per month form the largest segment at just over 51%, with a further 14% in the R10 000–R30 000 bracket and only about 3% exceeding R30 000. A notable 32% preferred not to disclose their income, yet among those who did, lower-earning creators clearly dominate. This skew suggests most influencers operate with modest monthly budgets.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Below R10,000 Per Month
6,656
51.31%
Prefer Not To Say
4,129
31.83%
R10,000 - R30,000 Per Month
1,841
14.19%
R30,000+ Per Month
347
2.67%
Province
Influencers are concentrated in Gauteng (45%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (18%) and the Western Cape (10%). Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga each contribute about 6%, while Limpopo, Free State and North West range from 4–5%. Northern Cape and other regions hold under 1% each, indicating very limited representation.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Gauteng
5,906
45.41%
KwaZulu-Natal
2,309
17.75%
Western Cape
1,333
10.25%
Eastern Cape
800
6.15%
Mpumalanga
763
5.87%
Limpopo
627
4.82%
Free State
546
4.20%
North West
482
3.71%
Northern Cape
129
0.99%
Other
110
0.85%
Town
Over three quarters of known influencers are based in the top four towns, with Johannesburg (25%), Durban (19.5%), Pretoria (16.6%) and Cape Town (14.9%) dominating the landscape. Secondary hubs such as Midrand, Soweto and Bloemfontein each contribute around 4–5%, indicating pockets of regional presence beyond the main metros. This distribution underlines a strong urban focus, particularly within Gauteng and key coastal centres.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Johannesburg
1,355
24.79%
Durban
1,065
19.49%
Pretoria
907
16.60%
Cape Town
815
14.91%
Midrand
264
4.83%
Soweto
257
4.70%
Bloemfontein
253
4.63%
Polokwane
211
3.86%
Port Elizabeth
174
3.18%
Pietermaritzburg
164
3.00%
Influencer Engagement Rates in South Africa
AI Insight: Engagement patterns reveal a clear scale-vs-intimacy trade-off: nano and micro influencers deliver the highest per-follower engagement rates, sentiment scores and paid-lift efficiency—particularly micros, which achieve near parity between organic and paid reach. As tiers grow, raw views, reactions and saves climb sharply, but engagement rates, paid-organic balance and positive sentiment steadily decline. Mid- and macro-tier creators excel at organic traction, while mega influencers command unmatched scale yet register the weakest per-post engagement and sentiment.
Followers
Average follower counts escalate sharply from around 500 in the nano tier to more than 4.6 million at the mega level. The micro segment is the most populous, offering a broad base of creators with roughly 3 000 followers each. Though fewer in number, macro and mega influencers command outsized audiences, making them key for wide-reach campaigns.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Followers
Nano
1,442
494
Micro
6,341
3,072
Mid
2,518
22,347
Macro
487
188,924
Mega
45
4,648,918
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Engagement Rates
Micro influencers lead post engagement at about 10.5%, just ahead of nanos at 9%, while mid and macro tiers settle around 7–8%. Nano creators also top overall account engagement and see a 12% boost on paid collaborations. Mega influencers have the weakest organic traction but jump to 9% engagement when running paid posts.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Post
Account
Paid
Nano
851
9.1%
10.1%
12.0%
Micro
4,258
10.5%
4.6%
4.2%
Mid
1,800
7.4%
2.7%
3.7%
Macro
398
8.2%
1.9%
2.4%
Mega
22
7.0%
0.6%
9.0%
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Views
Organic post views scale sharply with influencer tier, climbing from about 457 views for nanos to over 410 000 for megas. Paid promotion adds reach across all segments but remains a much smaller slice of total views, especially for mid- and higher-tier creators. Micro influencers exhibit the closest balance between organic (≈1 897) and paid (≈1 808) views, suggesting particularly strong paid lift in that segment.
AI Insight
Group
Organic
Paid
Nano
457
235
Micro
1,897
1,808
Mid
25,480
3,813
Macro
113,572
10,560
Mega
410,421
31,300
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Reactions
Organic reactions scale sharply with influencer tier, from roughly 35 reactions for nano creators up to nearly 25 000 for mega influencers. Paid campaigns lag behind organic performance at every level, with the disparity growing alongside audience size. Mid-tier and above influencers display the most pronounced organic advantage, indicating stronger native engagement than paid content.
AI Insight
Group
Organic
Paid
Nano
35
25
Micro
137
53
Mid
1,197
113
Macro
7,251
253
Mega
24,795
2,676
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Saves
Organic post saves rise sharply with influencer tier, from around 2 saves per post for nano creators to over 1 090 for mega creators. Paid campaigns deliver the biggest uplift in saves at the micro level (15 paid vs 8.6 organic) but fall well below organic performance in mid, macro and mega tiers. This pattern indicates mega influencers drive the highest raw save counts organically, while paid initiatives are most efficient among micro‐influencers.
AI Insight
Group
Organic
Paid
Nano
2
3
Micro
9
15
Mid
94
11
Macro
393
74
Mega
1,091
98
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Shares
Organic shares climb sharply with influencer size: mega creators average about 640 shares per post, macro around 225, mid roughly 69, and just 3–9 for nano and micro tiers. Paid content yields far fewer shares overall, though micro influencers buck the trend—paid posts (≈16 shares) outperform their organic rate. For mid- and macro-tier creators, organic reach still far exceeds paid lift, underscoring the strength of established voices.
AI Insight
Group
Organic
Paid
Nano
3
6
Micro
9
16
Mid
69
13
Macro
225
22
Mega
641
16
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Comments
Comment volume climbs sharply with influencer size: mega creators average nearly 194 organic comments per post versus just 32 on paid collaborations. For mid- to macro-tier influencers, organic posts outperform paid ones by roughly two to eight times in comment counts. Smaller nano and micro creators see paid partnerships boost comments, but this effect reverses as audience scale grows.
AI Insight
Group
Organic
Paid
Nano
3
7
Micro
7
9
Mid
24
12
Macro
84
10
Mega
194
32
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Post Sentiment
Post sentiment scores decline steadily from 93 for nano influencers to 75 for mega influencers. Micro and mid-tier creators hold strong positivity around 80, reflecting consistently favorable reactions. The largest tiers see softer sentiment, suggesting scaled-up content may feel less personal.
AI Insight
Group
Sentiment
Nano
93.0%
Micro
83.1%
Mid
81.5%
Macro
77.3%
Mega
75.0%
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Influencer Rates & Pricing in South Africa
AI Insight: Influencer fees consistently rise with audience size—YouTube and TikTok command the highest premiums—while Instagram Reels deliver competitive rates even at nano and micro tiers. Beyond scale, pricing varies by gender (males generally earn more in most formats), category (Entertainment and Vlogs drive UGC Shorts spikes; Food & Beverage and Travel dominate Reel rates) and region (smaller provinces like Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal achieve niche premium pricing despite fewer creators).
By Audience
Fees generally climb with audience size, peaking on YouTube Videos (up to R75 000 for mega creators) and TikTok Videos (R35 000). Instagram Reels deliver surprisingly strong rates even at nano level (R4 250), outpacing many mid-tier formats, while UGC Shorts hold a steady R2 500–R3 000 range before disappearing at mega scale. Facebook Posts rise modestly to R11 875 at macro but collapse at mega, suggesting limited appeal for top-tier creators on that platform.
AI Insight
Group
Nano
Micro
Mid
Macro
Mega
TikTok Video
R1,661
R2,238
R4,603
R10,625
R35,000
Instagram Post
R1,362
R2,143
R4,902
R15,438
R20,000
Facebook Post
R1,517
R1,364
R2,194
R11,875
R250
UGC Short (30s - 60s)
R3,000
R1,500
R2,500
R3,000
Instagram Reel
R4,250
R2,250
R5,536
R25,000
R3,000
YouTube Video
R2,214
R2,867
R14,500
R30,000
R75,000
Facebook Reel
R3,000
R891
R4,000
R12,500
R2,000
X / Twitter Tweet
R759
R1,192
R1,851
R8,500
TikTok Gallery
R4,400
R2,050
R4,000
R5,500
R200
Instagram Story
R2,900
R871
R2,664
R12,500
R3,300
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
By Gender
Female creators outnumber male creators across every format by roughly five- to tenfold, highlighting a strong female presence among influencers. Male influencers command notably higher rates in most formats—especially on TikTok Gallery (R11 706 vs R1 972) and Facebook Reels (R7 000 vs R2 399)—while female rates edge ahead only on YouTube videos (R3 324 vs R3 125) and X/Twitter tweets (R1 627 vs R1 487). The smallest pricing gaps appear on Facebook and Instagram posts (around R1 670 vs R1 660 and R2 710 vs R2 580, respectively), suggesting more balanced rates on those platforms.
AI Insight
Group
Male Total
Male
Female Total
Female
TikTok Video
852
R3,453
4,753
R2,891
Instagram Post
377
R2,714
2,140
R2,578
Facebook Post
351
R1,674
1,716
R1,664
UGC Short (30s - 60s)
271
R2,852
923
R2,066
Instagram Reel
173
R3,833
793
R3,055
YouTube Video
92
R3,125
231
R3,324
Facebook Reel
61
R7,000
241
R2,399
X / Twitter Tweet
109
R1,487
198
R1,627
TikTok Gallery
49
R11,706
268
R1,972
Instagram Story
39
R1,783
179
R1,159
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
By Category
Instagram Reels command the highest rates across most influencer categories at roughly R3 500–R3 700 per Reel, with Food & Beverage and Travel & Adventure topping the list. TikTok Video pricing is particularly strong in Beauty & Skincare and Wellness & Self-Care at around R3 570, comfortably outpacing Facebook Post rates, which hover near R2 100. UGC Shorts see a dramatic spike for Entertainment and Vlogs influencers, with rates climbing above R5 000—significantly higher than other formats.
AI Insight
Group
Total
TikTok Video
Instagram Post
Facebook Post
UGC Short (30s - 60s)
Instagram Reel
Lifestyle
10,325
R3,383
R2,843
R2,081
R2,568
R3,566
Personality
7,457
R3,374
R2,738
R1,919
R2,778
R3,290
Fashion and Style
7,234
R3,489
R2,901
R2,099
R2,700
R3,598
Beauty and Skincare
7,103
R3,567
R2,822
R2,100
R2,573
R3,549
Food & Beverage
6,801
R3,275
R2,860
R1,964
R2,741
R3,713
Entertainment
6,488
R3,304
R2,836
R1,946
R5,108
R3,623
Daily Life
5,203
R3,266
R2,458
R1,879
R2,808
R3,315
Vlogs
5,018
R3,305
R2,702
R1,929
R5,200
R3,212
Wellness & Self-Care
4,821
R3,568
R2,788
R2,099
R2,422
R3,499
Travel & Adventure
4,797
R3,509
R3,092
R2,225
R4,375
R3,709
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
By Province
Gauteng, with 5 906 influencers, sits at the center of the market with steady mid-range rates of roughly R3 000–R3 700 across all formats. KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga show pronounced spikes in premium formats—Reels average R7 558 in KZN and 30–60s UGC shorts go for R6 571 in Mpumalanga—despite smaller creator pools. Northern Cape influencers, though only 129 in number, command the highest TikTok video rates at R4 571, highlighting niche premium positioning in low-volume regions.
AI Insight
Group
Total
TikTok Video
Instagram Post
Facebook Post
UGC Short (30s - 60s)
Instagram Reel
Gauteng
5,906
R3,746
R3,186
R2,205
R2,927
R3,657
KwaZulu-Natal
2,309
R3,424
R2,876
R1,912
R2,735
R7,558
Western Cape
1,333
R3,399
R2,581
R1,896
R2,260
R3,820
Eastern Cape
800
R2,776
R2,737
R1,433
R1,825
R5,500
Mpumalanga
763
R3,569
R1,935
R1,305
R6,571
R3,083
Limpopo
627
R1,892
R3,919
R1,154
R1,140
R1,540
Free State
546
R2,587
R2,100
R1,250
R2,767
R2,750
North West
482
R2,570
R1,677
R3,313
R3,029
R4,000
Northern Cape
129
R4,571
R2,000
R4,000
R1,500
R1,400
Other
110
R3,610
R2,500
R100
R550
R2,500
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Influencer Cost per Engagement (CPE) in South Africa
AI Insight: Larger audience tiers drive down engagement costs most dramatically, from R6.90 for nanos to just R0.16 for megas, while content categories cluster tightly around R1.80–R2.00 (with entertainment at R1.51 and wellness at R2.20). Regionally, the Northern Cape delivers the lowest CPE (R1.08), the Western Cape the highest (R2.54), and Gauteng balances scale (2 935 creators) with a mid-range rate of R2.03.
By Audience
Nano-sized creators carry the highest cost per engagement at about R6.90, though they number just 737. As audience tiers grow, CPE steadily falls—micro influencers (3 642 profiles) average R2.40, mids R0.70 and macros R0.29. Mega-scale influencers offer the lowest CPE (R0.16) but are very limited in count (16).
AI Insight
Group
Total
Cost
Nano
737
R6.90 / each
Micro
3,642
R2.40 / each
Mid
1,535
R0.70 / each
Macro
326
R0.29 / each
Mega
16
R0.16 / each
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
By Category
Lifestyle influencers lead in volume with 4 569 creators, followed by Personality and Fashion & Style. Entertainment talent delivers the lowest cost per engagement at R1.51, while Wellness & Self-Care sits at the top of the scale at R2.20. Most other categories fall in a moderate band between R1.80 and R2.00, suggesting relatively consistent CPE across niches.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Cost
Lifestyle
4,569
R1.95 / each
Personality
3,398
R1.82 / each
Fashion and Style
3,172
R1.83 / each
Beauty and Skincare
3,220
R1.99 / each
Food & Beverage
3,026
R1.95 / each
Entertainment
2,990
R1.51 / each
Daily Life
2,372
R1.86 / each
Vlogs
2,425
R1.74 / each
Wellness & Self-Care
2,189
R2.20 / each
Travel & Adventure
2,141
R2.03 / each
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
By Province
Gauteng commands the largest influencer pool with 2 935 creators at a moderate CPE of R2.03. The Western Cape’s 610 creators incur the highest rate at R2.54 per engagement. Northern Cape delivers the most cost-efficient engagements at just over R1.08.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Cost
Gauteng
2,935
R2.03 / each
KwaZulu-Natal
900
R1.67 / each
Western Cape
610
R2.54 / each
Eastern Cape
313
R1.61 / each
Mpumalanga
330
R2.20 / each
Limpopo
301
R1.46 / each
Free State
245
R1.75 / each
North West
219
R1.71 / each
Northern Cape
52
R1.08 / each
Other
27
R0.92 / each
Avergage:The mathematical average from all creators, including outliers, extreme high/low values.
Mean:Typical average from a mid-range sample of creators, reflecting the peak distribution as a benchmark.
Creator Equipment & Production
AI Insight: Creators exhibit a clear preference for modern, pro-grade gear: over 90% use Apple smartphones (led by iPhone 11 and 13), about 28% shoot with Canon EOS R50 V bodies, and DJI’s wireless mic systems capture 45% of audio setups. Compact action/pocket cameras and smartphone-based mics cover additional needs, while 73% employ dedicated lighting kits. This mix of premium hardware and versatile mobile tools underscores a consistently high production standard, even as a minority of creators work without specialized lighting.
Popular Phones
Apple devices account for more than 90% of known phones among creators, led by the iPhone 11 at 31.6% and iPhone 13 at 24.0%. Newer models like the iPhone 15 series and iPhone 16 Pro Max are also gaining traction, reflecting a preference for up-to-date hardware. Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G is the only non-Apple handset in the top ranks, representing just under 7% of the total.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Apple IPhone 11
2,058
31.57%
Apple IPhone 13
1,562
23.96%
Apple IPhone 12
600
9.21%
Apple IPhone 15
518
7.95%
Samsung Galaxy A16 5G
449
6.89%
IPhone XR
306
4.69%
Apple IPhone 15 Pro Max
287
4.40%
Apple IPhone 13 Pro Max
283
4.34%
Apple IPhone 13 Pro
238
3.65%
Apple IPhone 16 Pro Max
217
3.33%
Popular Video Cameras
The Canon EOS R50 V is the clear leader, powering roughly 27.5% of influencers’ setups. Smartphones remain hugely popular—various iPhone models and generic phones together account for about 40% of the total. Compact action and pocket cameras (DJI Pocket series and Insta360 GO 3S) make up the remaining 18–19%.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
Canon EOS R50 V
444
27.53%
Iphone
256
15.87%
Phone
170
10.54%
IPhone 11
124
7.69%
Canon PowerShot V1
114
7.07%
Iphone 13
112
6.94%
DJI Pocket 2
103
6.39%
Insta360 GO 3S
102
6.32%
DJI Pocket 3
97
6.01%
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
91
5.64%
Popular Microphones
The DJI Mic family dominates with just over 45% share across its various models, underlining creators’ strong preference for wireless solutions. The Blue Yeti follows at around 18%, with Boya offerings also holding significant traction. Smartphone-based mics (iPhone, Samsung, generic phone) together make up about 14% of known equipment, showing a notable segment of influencers relying on mobile setups.
AI Insight
Group
Total
Percentage
DJI Mic
358
28.28%
Blue Yeti
228
18.01%
Boya Mini
156
12.32%
DJI Mic Mini
117
9.24%
IPhone
110
8.69%
DJI Mic 2
86
6.79%
Phone
70
5.53%
Boya BY-M1
63
4.98%
Samsung
39
3.08%
Boya BY-MM1
39
3.08%
Has Lighting
Nearly three-quarters of creators (73%) report using dedicated lighting setups, underscoring a strong baseline of production-quality equipment across the network. This widespread access to lighting kits suggests most influencers can consistently deliver clear, polished visuals. A remaining 27% operate without dedicated lighting, indicating variation in production setups among the group.