SA among top countries spending most hours on social media, study finds

A new study has revealed that South Africa ranks sixth, with an impressive daily internet and social media usage rate of nine hours and 38 minutes, one of the highest among the top-ranked countries.

The study by Heepsy analysed 230 countries to identify areas where people spend the most time on social media.

The research focused on identifying countries with the highest social media engagement levels, ultimately narrowing the list down to 44 nations.

Rankings

South Africa’s ranking comes from its contribution to its social media engagement index of 65.8.

With 68.2% of the population having internet access, South Africans utilise an average of 7.8 social platforms, reflecting a broad and active online presence.

ALSO READ: These are the best and worst mobile networks in South Africa

China

China tops the rankings with the highest engagement index score of 97.9. 

The country stands out with the highest share of daily internet usage, with users spending 63.3% of their time on mobile devices.

China has one of the fastest mobile internet speeds, ranking second on the Speedtest Global Index at 135.71.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) takes second place, with a social media engagement index of 89.3, influenced by its internet penetration rate of 98.4%, the second-highest on the list.

With an average of seven hours and 20 minutes spent online daily and a mobile internet speed that tops the Speedtest Global Index at 323.61 Mbps, UAE stands out with a solid digital landscape. UAE residents use an average of 8.2 social platforms, with the highest active social network penetration rate at 115%.

US

The United States (US) secures the third spot with a social media engagement index of 76.3. The country has an internet penetration rate of 90.7%, with Americans spending an average of six hours and 42 minutes online daily.

Despite having a lower mobile internet speed compared to the UAE and China at 113.1 Mbps, the US remains a key player in social media engagement, with 6.6 social networks per user.

India

India, with an engagement index of 75.6, ranks fourth, just behind the US. Indians spend an average of six hours and 13 minutes online daily, using 8.7 social platforms, the highest among the top-ranking countries.

Despite having a lower internet penetration rate of 32.7%, India’s massive population of social media users, numbering 462 million, significantly contributes to its high engagement. 

Social Media Engagement Index

The study compiled an extensive dataset, including metrics such as the number of social media users by January 2024, internet penetration rates, daily time spent using the internet, mobile internet speed from the Speedtest Global Index, the average number of social platforms used, device preferences, active social network penetration, and average daily time spent on social media.

Countries with complete and reliable data were included, using the most recent reports from 2023-2024 and up-to-date social media metrics collected up to August 2024.

The Social Media Engagement Index was calculated by normalising and weighting these metrics equally, resulting in a composite score that ranks countries based on their level of social media engagement, with a focus on both usage time and platform accessibility.

ALSO READ: Instagram makes all teen accounts private in push for child safety [VIDEO]