For years, Google and Meta have dominated digital advertising. But as consumers increasingly turn to AI for answers, recommendations and purchasing decisions, a new contender is entering the conversation. And this time, the rules of engagement could be very different.
In October 2026, OpenAI officially expanded ChatGPT Ads into South Africa, marking an important development for the country's digital advertising landscape. The expansion forms part of a broader rollout into 26 additional countries, bringing ChatGPT's advertising presence to 89 markets worldwide.
At first glance, this might seem like another technology platform introducing advertising to monetise its audience. After all, we've watched Google, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok follow similar paths.
But ChatGPT represents something fundamentally different.
For the first time, advertisers have an opportunity to reach consumers not simply while they're searching or scrolling, but while they're actively having a conversation about what they need, what they're considering and what they might buy next.
The question isn't simply whether ChatGPT Ads will work. It's whether conversational AI could change the way brands compete for consumer attention altogether.
Now imagine having that entire research process within one ChatGPT conversation.
You could ask which CRM platform would best suit your growing business, compare HubSpot and Salesforce, investigate implementation costs, explore integration requirements and request a recommendation based on your specific circumstances.
Instead of navigating ten websites, you might reach a shortlist in minutes. This is where the advertising opportunity becomes interesting.
Google has traditionally excelled at capturing explicit search intent. Meta has become exceptionally good at generating demand through audience targeting, creative content and discovery.
ChatGPT potentially sits somewhere between the two, helping consumers discover, evaluate and narrow their options through conversation.
For marketers, that creates an entirely new moment of influence.
ChatGPT's growth has been remarkable, but its advertising ambitions are moving just as quickly. According to OpenAI's October 2026 announcements:
To put the audience figure into perspective, 1.2 billion weekly users represents enormous potential reach for a platform whose core product is built around active engagement rather than passive content consumption.
However, there is an important distinction: weekly active users are not the same as advertising impressions, and not every ChatGPT user is eligible to see ads.
Google and Meta still operate mature advertising ecosystems with extensive reach, targeting, optimisation and measurement capabilities. ChatGPT's scale is significant, but its ability to translate that scale into consistent advertiser returns remains a developing story.
The real opportunity isn't necessarily that ChatGPT will attract more attention than Google. It's that it may attract a different kind of attention.
Each platform offers marketers a distinct way to reach potential customers.
One of the most interesting questions surrounding ChatGPT Ads isn't about targeting or pricing.
It's about trust. People increasingly use conversational AI to help them understand complex subjects, evaluate alternatives and make decisions. That creates a relationship with the platform that differs from the experience of scrolling through social media.
But there's a danger in assuming that trust in AI-generated answers automatically extends to advertising.
A consumer may trust ChatGPT to explain the differences between two products without necessarily trusting every sponsored placement appearing beneath that explanation. OpenAI appears conscious of this distinction. Its advertising model separates sponsored content from organic responses, labels advertising clearly and prevents advertisers from accessing private conversations.
This is essential because the moment consumers believe advertising is influencing the answers they receive, the credibility of the entire experience could be compromised.
For brands, the lesson is equally important. In a conversational environment, relevance and usefulness may become even more valuable than interruption or attention-grabbing creative.
An advertisement that genuinely helps someone move forward with a decision could feel useful. An irrelevant one could feel particularly intrusive.
The challenge for OpenAI will be finding the balance between monetisation and maintaining the user experience that made ChatGPT successful in the first place.
The short answer is yes, but challenging two of the world's most established advertising platforms is no small task. Google and Meta have spent years refining their advertising ecosystems, offering sophisticated targeting, automation, conversion tracking and measurement capabilities. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is entering the market with something different: the ability to connect advertisers with consumers through conversational context.
Consider how someone might plan a family holiday. On Google, they could search for "family-friendly hotels in Cape Town", while Instagram might inspire their next getaway through a travel creator's Reel. ChatGPT takes this a step further, allowing users to explain their budget, children's ages, preferred activities and accommodation requirements before exploring recommendations tailored to their needs. Each platform plays a role in influencing the decision, but ChatGPT introduces an opportunity to reach consumers while they're actively weighing up their options.
This doesn't necessarily mean advertisers will start abandoning Google or Meta. Instead, ChatGPT could become an additional channel within the digital marketing mix, particularly for brands looking to engage consumers during the research and consideration stages of their journey. The real test will be whether conversational advertising can deliver measurable results, from qualified leads and conversions to profitable customer acquisition.
Ultimately, advertising budgets follow performance. If ChatGPT can demonstrate that its conversational approach delivers meaningful commercial value, it could become a serious competitor for a share of those budgets. For now, however, the opportunity lies in understanding how this emerging channel could complement existing strategies rather than viewing it as an immediate replacement.
For South African businesses, the arrival of ChatGPT Ads introduces an interesting new opportunity to connect with consumers in moments that traditional advertising doesn't always capture. Whether someone is researching their next holiday, comparing business software or looking for a local service provider, AI-powered conversations are becoming another touchpoint in the customer journey.
The potential is particularly exciting for industries where purchasing decisions involve research, comparisons and careful consideration. A hospitality brand could reach travellers planning a weekend getaway, a technology provider could engage businesses evaluating software solutions, and a retailer could introduce relevant products while shoppers weigh up their options. Rather than competing solely for attention, brands could potentially become part of the decision-making process itself.
However, opportunity doesn't automatically translate into results. Although ChatGPT Ads have expanded to South African users, advertiser access, targeting capabilities and local campaign performance are still developing. Businesses should approach the platform with curiosity, but also with the same commercial discipline they would apply to any other advertising investment.
For marketers, the smartest starting point is preparation rather than rushing to spend. This means understanding how customers are already using AI to discover products and services, ensuring brand information is accurate and accessible, and identifying where conversational advertising could complement existing Google, Meta and content strategies.
Ultimately, the opportunity isn't simply to be among the first South African brands advertising on ChatGPT. It's to understand how AI is reshaping consumer behaviour and position your business to remain visible, relevant and competitive as that behaviour evolves.
There's another important aspect of this development that marketers shouldn't overlook. Advertising is only one part of how brands can become visible within AI-powered experiences.
As more consumers use AI assistants to research businesses, compare services and evaluate products, brands need to consider how effectively their digital content communicates expertise, relevance and credibility.
This brings Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) into the broader marketing conversation. Traditional SEO remains essential, but brands should also consider whether their websites provide clear, structured, authoritative information that AI-powered discovery tools can interpret.
Useful content, credible expertise, strong local relevance and consistent business information become increasingly important.
And unlike paid advertising, these are investments that can support visibility across multiple discovery environments.
The distinction is worth emphasising: paying for a ChatGPT advertisement does not improve a brand's position in ChatGPT's organic answers.
A future-ready digital strategy needs to consider both paid visibility and organic discoverability.
Perhaps the most significant implication of ChatGPT Ads is what they tell us about the future of consumer behaviour.
Digital advertising has evolved from buying space on websites to targeting search queries, building audiences and predicting purchasing behaviour. Conversational AI introduces another possibility: connecting brands with consumers while they're actively defining their needs and making decisions.
That doesn't make traditional channels obsolete. It does mean the customer journey is becoming less predictable, with discovery, research, comparison and consideration increasingly happening within the same experience.
For marketing teams, this creates both opportunity and complexity.
Attribution may become more challenging. Content strategies will need to evolve. And businesses will need a clearer understanding of how different platforms contribute to actual revenue rather than simply impressions and clicks.
The brands that benefit most won't necessarily be those that rush to invest in every new advertising platform.
They'll be the ones that understand where their customers make decisions, create genuinely useful content and connect their marketing activity to measurable business outcomes.
The arrival of ChatGPT Ads represents more than another addition to the digital advertising landscape. It signals a shift in how consumers discover brands, evaluate solutions and make purchasing decisions. For businesses, the challenge is no longer simply being visible across multiple channels, but understanding how those channels influence the customer journey and, ultimately, revenue.
At Velocity Digital, we see conversational advertising as part of a much broader evolution in marketing. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in consumer behaviour, businesses need strategies that connect paid media, organic visibility, content, customer data and marketing automation. Each channel has a role to play, but its real value lies in how effectively it contributes to the bigger picture.
The introduction of ChatGPT Ads doesn't mean businesses should immediately redirect their advertising budgets. It means they should be asking better questions. Where is consumer behaviour shifting? Which emerging channels offer genuine commercial potential? How can AI-powered discovery complement existing acquisition strategies? And, importantly, how do we measure success beyond clicks and impressions?
This is where strategic expertise makes the difference. At Velocity, we help businesses navigate these changes by combining digital marketing expertise, AI innovation and data-driven decision-making to identify opportunities that deliver meaningful results.
The future of advertising won't be defined by who adopts the newest platform first, but by who understands how to use it most effectively.
Is your digital strategy ready for AI-driven discovery?
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Sources:
OpenAI — October 2026 global expansion and advertiser figure
OpenAI — Advertising principles, trust and privacy
OpenAI — Ad formats, pricing and measurement