The rise of influencer marketing has turned social media personalities into major players in advertising, with South African influencers charging significant fees for their work.
Prices vary widely, shaped by factors such as number of followers, level of engagement, and type of content desired, such as static posts, stories, or reels.
According to the recently released SA Influencer Report 2024, the average price of a static post in South Africa is R4,354, while rails cost R7,335. These rates reflect the value influencers provide in terms of impressions, trust, and audience engagement, which often rival traditional advertising channels.
Impact landscaping is classified into five tiers, with each group commanding different fees:
Nano Influencer (5,000-10,000 followers):
Static post: R2,101
Rail: R3,229
Story: R1,198
Micro-influencers (10,000-50,000 followers):
Static post: R2,736
Rail: R4,963
Story: R1,864
Mid Macro Influencer (50,000–500,000 followers):
Static post: R6,067
Rail: R10,633
Story: R3,376
Macro influencer (500,000–1 million followers):
Static post: R9,604
Rail: R18,096
Story: R6,406
Celebrity Influencers (1 million+ followers):
Static post: R17,667
Rail: R34,333
Story: R10,833
These fees are negotiable, with influencers often adjusting rates based on content creation efforts, brand deliverables, and campaign objectives.
Another pricing benchmark is cost per thousand followers (CPTF), which averages R305 across influencer levels.
Nano influencers have the highest CPTF due to their niche audience and high engagement rates, averaging 4.55%.
In contrast, celebrity influencers receive less than R1 per thousand followers, reflecting their wider but less engaged audience.
Reels fetch the highest rates with an average of R7,335, as they offer dynamic, visually appealing content that aligns with the platform algorithm. Stories, while more affordable at R2,527 on average, remain a valuable tool for short-lived but impactful content, especially product exposure and affiliate marketing.
Brands looking to collaborate with influencers should prepare for price variability and consider key factors such as engagement rate and audience quality.
Trade-in exchanges are also popular, with 75% of influencers, particularly beauty and skin care, open to non-monetary compensation for high-value products or experiences.