Africa's social media landscape is being led decisively by Facebook, which commands the highest number of active users at 291.1 million—a full 12.7% of Facebook's global audience. This places it far ahead of other platforms, with TikTok coming in second at 189.3 million users, despite its rapidly growing popularity. The chart underscores Facebook’s entrenched dominance across the continent.
For everyday users and businesses alike, Facebook functions far beyond a social app—it’s a vital infrastructure. In markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, Facebook often doubles as an online marketplace, job board, and even a source of local news. It’s the digital entry point for many, especially where other tech ecosystems are still evolving. The platform’s wide accessibility and integrations explain why it maintains such a significant user lead over newer entrants like TikTok.
Messenger and Instagram also play notable roles, with 104.58M and 91.25M users, respectively, pointing to a broad base for Meta’s ecosystem. Meanwhile, LinkedIn’s 82.99M users reflect an active, growing professional community, showing potential for B2B content and career growth. Twitter (X) has the smallest share, with 27.85M users, representing 4.8% of its global user base—but it still plays a key role in news, politics, and social discourse across the region.
