OpenAI has expanded its ChatGPT advertising service to Nigeria and South Africa, giving businesses in the two African countries a new platform to promote their products and services to users of the artificial intelligence chatbot.
The expansion covers 26 additional countries, bringing the total number of markets where ChatGPT Ads is available to 89 worldwide.
OpenAI said more than 100,000 advertisers had run campaigns on ChatGPT since the advertising service was launched just over eight months ago.
The company said more than 1.2 billion people use ChatGPT weekly to explore ideas, compare products and make decisions, creating opportunities for businesses to reach potential customers while they consider their options.
For Nigerian and South African businesses, the rollout offers another route to digital advertising, particularly as consumers increasingly turn to AI tools to research products, seek recommendations and compare services before making purchases.
Unlike traditional digital adverts that appear alongside search results or social media posts, ChatGPT Ads are designed to appear in relevant conversations as users explore their needs.
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For example, someone researching a product or service could encounter an advert related to their search while comparing available options.
Advertisers in the newly added markets can access the service through technology partners or OpenAI’s self-service Ads Manager platform.
OpenAI said advertising revenue would help support free and lower-cost access to ChatGPT. Advertisements will appear only on the Free and Go subscription plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscribers will continue to use the platform without ads.
The company also said users’ conversations would remain private from advertisers and that it would not sell customer data. It added that advertisements would be clearly labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s answers, with paid promotions having no influence on the chatbot’s responses.
Other countries included in the expansion are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, Serbia and Ukraine, alongside 14 additional Latin American markets.
OpenAI said it planned to introduce more advertising formats, campaign objectives, purchasing options and measurement tools as it develops the service and expands opportunities for businesses to connect with consumers through ChatGPT.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
