For as little as $25 a day, Nigerian and South African businesses can now place ads directly inside ChatGPT. OpenAI has opened its advertising platform to brands in both countries, creating a new channel to reach users through one of the world's most widely used AI tools.
The move marks a meaningful expansion for OpenAI beyond its core English-speaking Western markets. For African brands, it means access to a placement that sits right inside the conversation, rather than on a sidebar or search results page that users have long learned to scroll past.
The $25 daily minimum keeps the entry point relatively accessible for small and mid-sized businesses, which make up a large share of Nigeria's commercial landscape. Whether that price point will feel attainable for independent Lagos boutiques and Abuja startups, or mostly suit larger advertisers, remains to be seen.
What it means for the everyday ChatGPT user in Lagos or Johannesburg is still an open question. How OpenAI labels these ads, and how naturally or intrusively they sit inside a chat exchange, will likely shape how African audiences feel about the product going forward.
Originally published by BusinessDay.