ChatGPT Ads launches in Nigeria and South Africa: how businesses can get started and what it costs

OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT Ads to Nigeria and South Africa, letting businesses in both countries advertise inside conversations with its AI chatbot. The company announced on Wednesday that the rollout adds 26 countries, taking the total to 89.

OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on ChatGPT since the service launched just over eight months ago. In the new markets, businesses can buy ads through technology partners or directly through OpenAI’s self-service Ads Manager.

Unlike search or social media advertising, ChatGPT Ads puts a brand in front of people while they explore ideas, compare options or weigh a purchase in conversation. A Lagos fashion retailer, for instance, could appear when someone asks for outfit ideas for a wedding. A Cape Town travel company could appear when someone is planning a holiday.

Read also: ChatGPT dominates global GenAI app revenue with 63% share

How do businesses set up a campaign?

1. Visit Ads Manager and sign in or register.
2. Create a campaign by choosing an objective, budget, target countries and duration.
3. Organise ads into groups, add context hints and prepare the creatives.
4. Set up billing and submit the ads for review. They can run once approved.

OpenAI’s documentation lists three objectives. Views are charged per 1,000 impressions and clicks per valid click. Conversions steer delivery towards actions such as a purchase or registration. Full instructions are in the OpenAI Help Centre.

What ChatGPT ads will cost

OpenAI’s published minimum daily budget for campaigns billed in US dollars is $25, roughly ₦33,367 or 412.58 South African rand. The figure is averaged over seven days, so daily spending can rise and fall as long as it stays within the weekly limit.

OpenAI’s minimum-budget table does not list the naira or the rand. Advertisers paying in dollars would also bear their bank’s conversion and card charges on top. Take a small Abuja bakery running a 30-day campaign at the minimum: that is about $750, or roughly ₦1,001,016, before those charges.

Once campaigns run, results appear in Ads Manager. OpenAI’s Measurement Pixel and Conversions API also record purchases, registrations and lead submissions after people interact with an ad.

Also read: Facebook leads the charge as global digital advertising spend hits $348 billion in 2026

Who can target which market?

Access does not mean worldwide reach on day one. OpenAI says some new self-service accounts are initially restricted to advertising in their home country. International targeting opens after identity verification and the required ad spend in that market.

A Nigerian exporter hoping to reach South African shoppers, for example, may have to begin with local customers first.

OpenAI says ads are clearly labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s answers and that advertising does not influence those answers. It also says conversations stay private from advertisers and that it does not sell customer data. Ads appear on the Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise remain ad-free.

For now, the practical limits are a $25 daily minimum, a budget table without the naira or rand, and a home-market restriction on some new accounts.