Sunday, June 21, 2026

Should I switch from Meta Ads to Google Ads for pre-owned iPhones? (South Africa)

Looking for some honest advice on whether I should switch to Google Ads or if the issue is deeper than the platform.

I run a pre-owned iPhone business in South Africa.

On Meta, things look good on paper:

Strong CTR, CPC, and overall engagement

Lots of add-to-carts and checkout initiations

Cheap traffic and solid reach

But conversions are the problem. I’ve spent around R14k total and only got about 6 sales across campaigns. Traffic comes in, people browse, but very few actually complete payment.

What I’m seeing in practice:

A lot of people are interested but don’t end up buying

Many can’t afford the device

A big portion fail BNPL approval

Others want long-term installment plans (12 months+)

It feels more like low purchasing power / low qualification than lack of demand

Business setup:

Competitive pricing for SA market

BNPL + cash options

Warranty, returns, reviews, trust signals, etc.

Limited stock (~15 devices rotating)

Main question: Would switching to Google Ads actually improve this by bringing in higher-intent buyers (people actively searching “buy iPhone 13” etc.), or is this mainly a conversion/affordability issue that will persist no matter the platform?

Would appreciate insights from anyone who’s run both in a similar space.

submitted by /u/A-R-T-
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