Signpost: LinkedIn takes corporate centre stage

For years, LinkedIn carried the aura of a digital name tag: present, but largely out of the spotlight. That era has passed. In South Africa, corporate engagement with LinkedIn has moved beyond obligation and into strategic intent. What once seemed optional now appears essential.

The SA Social Media Landscape Report 2025, produced by World Wide Worx in partnership with brand intelligence company Ornico, reveals a sharp shift. LinkedIn adoption among South Africa’s top brands has reached 85%, marking its highest level since the survey began more than a decade ago. More than 140 major brands participated in a survey that formed part of the study, and reflected a huge leap, from just 72% in 2024.

This growth signals a structural change in how local businesses communicate with the world beyond their own walls.

While it could be seen as a case of brands simply adding another social media handle, it goes further. LinkedIn overtook Facebook, which dropped from 83% of brands adopting it to 78%.

Clearly, companies are making deliberate choices about where they show up and how. Boardroom announcements, hiring milestones and thought leadership now appear first on LinkedIn.

User behaviour tells a similar story. Data from market researchers Ask Afrika’s TGI study shows that, among professionals earning more than R18,000 a month, daily and weekly LinkedIn use jumped from 18.5% to 31.4% in the past year. These users reflect a cohort of decision-makers, analysts and managers engaging consistently, and drawing others in their networks into the fold.

Lurking in the data is the insight that corporate messaging on LinkedIn increasingly centres on organisational identity. Executives share their views on leadership, sustainability and transformation. Employees weigh in on team culture and innovation. These posts now form a live stream of how a company thinks and behaves, reaching stakeholders without the need for a press release.

While Facebook still gets the bulk of marketing budgets due to its consumer reach, many marketing teams have adjusted their corporate communications. Campaigns designed for scale now find limited traction. Instead, storytelling, positioning and consistent tone drive engagement. The report highlights a modest rise in paid LinkedIn spend among corporates, alongside greater use of employee advocacy. Visibility is no longer limited to official brand pages. Senior leaders now act as amplifiers, curators and, occasionally, the conscience of the brand.

This level of decentralisation creates both opportunity and risk. The best-performing companies on LinkedIn rely on coherence rather than control. Their executives show up with clear voices, and don’t sound scripted.

This posture carries weight in a time of uncertainty. Public discourse has become noisier, and brand trust more fragile. Campaigns designed for rapid attention rarely gain reputational impact.

This suggests a fascinating motivation for using the platform: LinkedIn offers a slower rhythm.

As a result, a single, well-articulated post from a CEO can ripple across industries when the timing and tone align.

Meanwhile, older habits have begun to fray, as Facebook’s slow decline suggests. It may seem marginal, until one steps back and realises that it has fallen from a historical high of 97% in 2018. Many companies now allocate fewer resources to Facebook pages and shift strategic messaging to LinkedIn. The migration reflects a broader evolution from general audience marketing toward focused, high-context communication.

That shift also extends to recruitment. Job portals remain vital, but employer branding increasingly plays out through day-to-day dealings on LinkedIn. A post from someone announcing they are stepping into a new role, or welcoming a new colleague, as I see among contacts in my feed almost daily, helps shape the perception of a workplace far more effectively than a static careers page. For companies competing for scarce talent, every line of tone and image matters.

The rise of LinkedIn among South African corporates mirrors global patterns, particularly in sectors where reputation drives access to capital, partnerships or policy engagement. South African firms have joined this conversation with growing confidence, bringing local insights into global view.

Still, visibility remains a craft. Some companies flood timelines with self-congratulatory updates or bland messaging. Others outsource their voice into generic templates. The best of them show up with something to say, and a reason to say it.

LinkedIn rewards them. Unlike other platforms, its algorithm favours depth over frequency. The brands that understand this dynamic position themselves as credible, a distinction that carries increasing weight in an environment shaped by mistrust.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx. He was principal analyst for the SA Social Media Landscape 2025 study.