South African Marketers Embrace AI as Standard Practice in 2026 Social Media Landscape Report

Now in its 16th year, the South African Social Media Landscape Report has established itself as one of South Africa's most authoritative studies of the country's digital landscape. Produced by Ornico in partnership with World Wide Worx and Ask Afrika's Target Group Index (TGI), it combines industry research, consumer insights and expert analysis to help marketers, communicators and business leaders understand the trends shaping social media in South Africa and make more informed, data-driven decisions.

The 2026 report reveals that South African marketers are entering a more mature phase of digital marketing. AI has become standard practice, platform strategies are becoming more selective, and organisations are placing renewed emphasis on human creativity, trust and strategic decision making.

The report found that 73% of organisations now use artificial intelligence in their marketing activities, while 72% use ChatGPT for content creation. At the same time, Anthropic Claude has emerged as one of the fastest-growing AI platforms among marketers, increasing from 9% adoption to 29% in just one year.

Rather than replacing people, however, AI is changing the role of marketers. As access to AI tools becomes increasingly widespread, competitive advantage is shifting towards the qualities that technology cannot easily replicate, including creativity, cultural understanding, strategic thinking and authentic human connection.

"Artificial intelligence is no longer the story. It is becoming part of the everyday marketing toolkit," says Arthur Goldstuck, managing director of World Wide Worx. "The organisations that will stand out are those that combine AI with human judgement and creativity rather than relying on technology alone."

The report also reveals a more disciplined approach to digital marketing. While investment in AI and marketing technology remains strong, organisations are becoming increasingly selective about where they invest their time and budgets. Companies spending less than R10,000 per month on social media advertising increased from 53% to 60%, while more than half still expect to increase their investment over the coming year.

Social platform strategies are evolving too. LinkedIn has strengthened its position as South Africa's leading corporate platform, reaching 88% adoption among organisations, while WhatsApp continues to grow as a business communication channel. At the same time, fewer companies report using TikTok despite continued growth in consumer adoption, suggesting marketers are taking a more strategic approach to platform selection rather than trying to maintain a presence everywhere.

The consumer landscape continues to shift. Facebook remains South Africa's largest social platform and has returned to growth, Instagram has regained momentum, LinkedIn continues to expand its reach among consumers, Pinterest is quietly gaining popularity, and Threads is beginning to establish itself within the country's social media ecosystem.

Beyond technology, the report highlights a growing focus on community and engagement. More organisations are actively participating in online communities than ever before, while marketers report placing greater emphasis on understanding community influence and building stronger long-term relationships with audiences.

Despite rapid advances in AI, the biggest barriers to success remain organisational rather than technological. Time constraints, budget pressure, leadership alignment and skills development continue to present greater challenges than access to new technology, reinforcing the report's central theme that people remain at the heart of successful digital marketing.

"The technology available to marketers has never been more powerful," says Oresti Patricios, CEO of Ornico. "What will increasingly define success is how organisations combine that technology with human insight, strong strategy and a genuine understanding of their audiences. That is the Human Edge."

The South African Social Media Landscape Report 2026 combines industry research, exclusive South African consumer data, platform analysis and expert commentary to provide marketers, communicators and business leaders with one of the country's most comprehensive views of the digital landscape. Now in its 16th year, it continues to serve as one of South Africa's most authoritative resources for understanding the trends shaping social media and digital marketing.

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Download the free executive summary: https://ornico.co/executive-summary-sa-social-media-landscape-report-2026/.Purchase the full South African Social Media Landscape Report 2026: https://ornico.co/full-report-social-media-landscape-report-2026/.