On 21 October 2026, OpenAI switched on ChatGPT Ads in South Africa as part of a 26-country expansion taking the platform to 89 markets, according to Securities.io. Criteo, an OpenAI advertising technology partner since March 2026, already runs ChatGPT Ads for more than 2,000 brands worldwide, and South African brands buy them through Criteo via 365 Digital using their existing Criteo account. Ads appear only for people on ChatGPT's Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise stay ad-free, per Securities.io citing OpenAI. Ads are shown as a sponsored unit with ChatGPT's answer, clearly labelled and visually separate from it, and are triggered by intent signals in the conversation rather than only explicit product searches. OpenAI states ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers, conversations stay private from advertisers and user data is not sold, and users can switch off ad personalisation, clear ad data or move to an ad-free plan. OpenAI has said ads will not show to users stated or predicted to be under 18, or next to sensitive topics such as health, mental health and politics. Criteo adds prompt smart ads combining a brand's product catalogue with prompt context, automated bidding, measurement beyond the platform linking ad exposure to on-site behaviour and sales, and cross-channel reach alongside Open Web and Social campaigns, with Commerce Audiences coming Q1 2027.