The South African OOH market looks quite different today than it did ten years ago. More sites, more advertisers, more players competing for space. But it’s not just that the market has grown. The way it’s structured, who’s in it and how it’s being used have all shifted in ways that only really show up when you look at the numbers.

The market is bigger – and a lot more fragmented

There are roughly 30% more billboards in South Africa than there were in 2016. Most of that growth has happened in cities, particularly Gauteng, and along main arterials and secondary roads.

It is also a lot more fragmented in terms of media owners. Ten years ago, a handful of media owners controlled most of the market. Today, there are far more players, and the larger ones don’t dominate in the same way. That’s shifted the feel of the industry.

There’s more variation. More local operators. More choice in how and where you buy. It’s a bit messier than it was, but also more dynamic.

 Digital has brought in a new kind of advertiser

Digital OOH has made a real difference to OOH. The growth in the number of roadside digital screens over the past few years has been steady and industry-changing:

One screen can carry multiple brands, which makes it easier, as a brand, to get onto OOH without committing to production costs or a long-term campaign.

You can see the effect of that in the numbers. There are about 60% more brands using OOH now than there were ten years ago, and it’s brought in a genuinely different mix of brands – not just the usual suspects. If you are a brand who already has a digital footprint, moving some media spend to OOH is a lot easier now than before. 

The category landscape looks different too

Some categories have grown quickly. Betting is the obvious one, and fast food has also expanded significantly.

Others have pulled back, particularly government and some FMCGs.

The overall mix feels healthier than before – OOH is less reliant on government spend and is now present in almost all brand categories and sub-categories.

Growth that’s stayed steady

Through all of this, the market has stayed relatively stable.

Even with more sites, occupancy hasn’t dropped off dramatically. This suggests that growth has been absorbed rather than just added to.

So where does that leave things?

OOH is in a stronger place than it was ten years ago. More inventory, more advertisers, more ways to use the medium. But it’s also more complex, and it’s no longer a market you can read at a glance. This shift is really what drives the State of OOH work. Not to add complexity, but to make the picture easier to read. Because when you actually understand what’s happening out there, decisions become simpler.