E-Business
Digital Ad Payments can be Complex, but They Don’t Have to Be
By Stephen Newton, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Aleph Group Inc.
While paying for digital advertising placements has gotten a lot simpler in recent years, it can still be complex. Anyone wanting to run a digital campaign, for example, has to know which pricing model (for example, Cost Per Click (CPC), Cost Per Mille/Thousand Impressions (CPM), Cost Per Action (CPA), and more) each platform uses, how to use the auction system, and ensure that they can make cross-border payments in the currency required.
Stephen Newton, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
It’s a lot for one person, or even a dedicated ad-buying team to keep track of. But this complexity can also make it difficult for companies that are entering the digital ad space for the first time to get full value out of their online marketing efforts. That’s no small thing either. After all, if you’re a business owner, you want to meet your customers where they are. And with Africans spending an increasing amount of time online (South Africa actually leads the world on this metric), that means having a presence on the biggest digital platforms and, more particularly, the ones most relevant to your business.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Advances in a number of fields mean that digital ad payments can be much simpler than has historically been the case.
Understanding complexities
Before looking at what those advances entail and allow for, it’s important to understand some of the factors behind ad payment complexity.
In addition to the wide variety of pricing models mentioned above, a significant part of the issue is the sheer number of platforms that offer advertising products. Each of those platforms has its own payment systems, pricing models, and rules. Advertisers often need to work with multiple platforms to reach their target audiences effectively.
Many digital ads are also placed through real-time auctions where advertisers bid for ad placements in milliseconds. Advertisers (or, more typically, their media buying partners) need to make rapid decisions about bids and budgets to secure desired placements. Another, related issue is that ad prices can fluctuate based on demand, user behaviour, and other factors. Advertisers need to adapt and optimise their budgets accordingly.
Additionally, digital advertising operates across international boundaries, involving different currencies, tax regulations, and payment methods. Advertisers must manage these complexities when running global campaigns.
These are, of course, other factors that add to the complexity of digital ad payments, but the ones listed above go some way to illustrating how advertisers might miss out on getting full impact from their marketing efforts. That’s not only to the detriment of the advertisers but also to the advertising platforms themselves, who end up missing out on valuable revenue from dissatisfied customers.
Taking a new approach
In other words, there’s a lot to be gained from making ad payments simpler. Whether you are a native digital advertiser based in Africa aiming to reach consumers in the US, who need hassle-free credit in local currency, or an ad tech platform aiming to offer your services, your experience should be as straight-forward as possible.
That’s part of the reason we’ve launched Aleph Payments. It’s a straight-forward cross-border credit and payment offering which allows eligible advertisers in 130 markets a line of credit for advertising. Once accepted, the advertiser pays Aleph invoices in local currencies, settling exchange and taxes, and allowing all of this to simplify commercial operations for digital ad-tech players.
Ideally, the more of this kind of simplicity we see in the sector, the more we can anticipate the expansion of the digital ecosystem in emerging economies such as Africa. That’s because simplicity leads to enhanced accessibility and creates an ecosystem that’s more user-friendly for everyone to navigate.
Less complexity benefits everyone
Ideally, the more of this kind of simplicity we see in business, the more growth we’ll see in the US$800 billion digital ecosystem in emerging economies. Because simplicity equates to better accessibility and a simpler ecosystem for everyone to function in.
Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.
The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
A jury in Los Angeles has found technology companies, Meta and Google liable for contributing to a young woman’s social media addiction, in a case being described as a landmark ruling.
The 20-year-old woman, identified only as Kaley, argued that she became addicted to Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram from an early age due to their attention-driven design features.
According to her testimony, she began using YouTube at the age of six after downloading the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos about lip gloss and online games.
Kaley told the court that she joined Instagram at nine, bypassing parental restrictions put in place by her mother, and spent extended periods on social media.
The trial, which lasted about a month, with arguments and evidence from both sides.
Jurors also heard testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive, Meta and Adam Mosseri, Instagram head.
However, Neal Mohan, YouTube chief executive, did not testify.
The jury found that the companies were negligent in the design of their platforms and failed to adequately warn users about potential harms. Meta and Google were ordered to pay the woman $3 million in damages.
Jurors also recommended additional punitive damages, including $900,000 against YouTube and $2.1 million against Meta, according to company spokespersons.
The jury apportioned 70 per cent of the responsibility to Meta and 30 per cent to YouTube.
Kaley was present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered, alongside parents of other teenagers who say they were harmed by social media use. Both companies said they plan to appeal the decision.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online”, a Meta spokesperson said.
José Castañeda, Google spokesperson, said the case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.
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