LinkedIn, the networking platform for professionals, says it has seen significant growth in South Africa, with a double-digit increase in user registrations year-on-year, over the last few years.
The world’s largest professional network made its debut in 2003, and launched it’s African partnership in 2011, and now has over 850 million members in more than 200 countries globally. In SA, the platform has over 9 million users.
Marius Greeff, founder of Turn Left Media (TLM), exclusive partner in Sub-Saharan Africa for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, tells ITWeb the shifts in online behaviour in SA led to LinkedIn’s user escalation.
There has been more than 10% growth in the number of internet users in SA from the pre-pandemic period to the winding down of the lockdowns – to an estimated 40.8 million internet users in SA. This led to more locals taking to social media, with LinkedIn being among the networks that saw huge uptake as more locals looked for remote working opportunities.
According to Greeff, LinkedIn has been improving various aspects of the platform, including facilitating the “social networking” element – a move that has given local professionals more reasons to spend more time on the platform, or to register.
“South Africans are looking for a safe, trusted platform to engage in, and because they don’t hide behind pseudonyms and fake profiles, LinkedIn becomes that trusted platform.
“LinkedIn is one of the few places where different audiences congregate − consumers, employees and employers and stakeholders, to the professional. Each comes for its purposes, but all their needs are served on the platform to create economic opportunity. LinkedIn has also done massive work in driving the utilisation of the platform and empowering the creator aspect of the platform,” explains Greeff.
The SA Social Media Landscape 2022 study shows growth in SA’s internet access over the last two years led to an increase in social media uptake.
LinkedIn’s growth may correlate with the size of the unemployed segment of the country, as the platform is a place where an entire segment is seeking jobs, it says.
Most of LinkedIn’s feature set was revamped during the pandemic, when it changed how job-seekers send out multiple job applications with minimal effort and remain in contact with recruiters via LinkedIn’s chat functionality.
“LinkedIn continues to develop new features each quarter and some of the most significant developments have been LinkedIn Live. The surge in co-ordinating events in a virtual format caused more event organisers in EMEA to be won over by the virtues of virtual events.
“Another one is Brand Lift Testings, which helps organisations measure the impact of their adverts by surveying members in test and control groups.”
TLM recently conducted a survey among 6 500 South African LinkedIn users. The research report, called “Meet the LinkedIn Member”, was published last month to help marketers understand South Africa's LinkedIn members' mindsets, lifestyles, aspirations and needs.
It found thatin the past three to six months, more than half of respondents purchased a vacation and one in five bought a car; a quarter invested in stocks and shares, while 41% actively supported or advocated for a particular cause.
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