Local Marketing
Local Marketing in Papua New Guinea: Business Guide
Small businesses in Papua New Guinea should treat online marketing as a way to reach the urban, connected minority, and keep word of mouth, signage and cash-friendly sales for everyone else. DataReportal counts 2.57 million internet users in January 2025, 24.1% of the population. Facebook is the main place to reach them, and mobile data cost shapes everything.
This guide covers what the data shows, how to write for a multilingual audience, and how to pay and get paid. Where a number could not be verified, the text says so. Earlier versions of this article gave higher Facebook figures that could not be sourced, so they were removed.
2.57M↑
Internet users, January 2025
DataReportal / Digital 2025
24.1%→
Internet penetration
DataReportal / Digital 2025
1.30M→
Facebook ad reach
Meta ad tools via DataReportal
47.2%→
Mobile connections as share of population
DataReportal; some lack internet
Estimates for illustration; actual numbers vary.
How Many People in PNG Are Online?
The World Bank puts PNG's population at about 10.76 million in 2025. DataReportal's Digital 2025 report finds 2.57 million internet users, up 45 thousand (1.8%) in a year, and 1.30 million social media user identities, 12.2% of the population. There are 5.03 million mobile connections, but DataReportal notes some of those have no internet access.
A separate Devpolicy analysis using Facebook marketing data from April to May 2024 estimated Facebook use at 14% of the population, the lowest in the Pacific. It also found women were 38% of Facebook users. Those figures use different population baselines, so treat them as the same order of size, not as a precise count.
Which Platforms Matter?
Facebook is the one platform with a verified figure here: an ad reach of 1.30 million, according to Meta's tools reported by DataReportal. Meta states that ad reach is not the same as active users.
Verified numbers for WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube in PNG were not found, so none are shown. A practical approach is to claim a Facebook Page, add a messaging contact, and ask customers which app they prefer. If you already use Messenger for orders, keep it. Add other channels only when customers ask for them.
Our Instagram ads guide covers how Meta campaigns are built in general. Local prices for ads in PNG were not verified.
What Does Mobile Data Cost?
Cost is the barrier to watch. Devpolicy's monitoring, published in June 2026, says Digicel's bundle prices were unstable and unpredictable through 2025, while Telikom's stayed flat. Vodafone introduced bundles in January 2026 of K10 for 6 GB (five days), K20 for 12 GB (10 days) and K25 for 15 GB (14 days), plus K1 for 1 GB overnight.
Devpolicy notes that in some populated parts of PNG Digicel is the only network. That limits which promotions your customers can use. Facebook-only credit offers have existed in some bundles, according to a 2020 Devpolicy post, but whether they run today was not verified.
What Does One Post Cost a Customer? A Worked Example
The inputs are assumptions using the January 2026 Vodafone bundles above. The per-GB figure is calculated from them: K10 for 6 GB is about K1.67 per GB.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Photos in one catalogue post (assumption) | 20 |
| Size per photo as loaded (assumption) | 2 MB |
| Data used by a customer who opens all photos | 40 MB |
| Price per GB, K10 for 6 GB bundle | about K1.67 |
| Cost to that customer | about K0.07 |
| Same customer opening 10 such posts a month | about K0.70 |
The numbers look small, but only on a bundle. A customer who buys data in tiny top-ups may pay a higher rate, and Devpolicy has noted that cost per megabyte has favoured bigger spenders. Smaller images and fewer photos per post keep your page usable on poor connections.
Which Language Should You Use?
PNG has about 840 living languages according to Ethnologue figures cited on Wikipedia, and Tok Pisin is described there as the most widely used language and the lingua franca. English and Hiri Motu also have statutory recognition. Sources differ on how formal each language's official status is.
For a shop in Port Moresby or Lae, a simple rule works: write the key facts in English and add a short line in Tok Pisin for hours, price and location. Test it by posting both versions and checking which gets more questions. No verified study shows which mix performs best in PNG.
How Do Customers Pay?
Cash is still common, and mobile wallets are growing. Business Advantage PNG reported in July 2025 that Digicel's CellMoni had around 1.6 million individual users, about 53% of its customer base. The same article says BSP's Wantok Wallet needs no bank account, internet or smartphone, and that Kina Bank offers banking through a WhatsApp account.
Whether your customers use any of these is a local question. Offer at least one cashless route and keep cash. Fees and limits for each service were not verified, so check them before quoting prices that depend on a particular wallet.
What Should You Do First?
- Create a Facebook Page with address, hours, price list and a phone number.
- Use the Google profile if your area is mapped; our Google Business Profile checklist lists the fields to fill, and our review guide explains how to answer feedback.
- Post a few compressed photos weekly, not long videos.
- Keep your budget small and test one change at a time; the Local Marketing Budget Guide shows how to track it.
- Ask each new customer how they found you, and write the answer down.
What We Could Not Verify
- Current ad prices (CPC, CPM) for Google or Meta in PNG.
- Whether Google Ads and Google Maps are widely used in PNG outside Port Moresby.
- User numbers for WhatsApp, TikTok and YouTube.
- Fees and limits for CellMoni, Wantok Wallet and bank mobile services.
FAQ
What share of Papua New Guineans use the internet?
DataReportal reports 24.1% in January 2025, or 2.57 million people. Penetration is lower outside the main towns, but a regional split was not verified.
How many people use Facebook in PNG?
Meta's tools show an ad reach of 1.30 million, equal to 12.2% of the population. Devpolicy's 2024 estimate was 14% of the population. They differ because of method and population baseline.
Should I write in Tok Pisin?
Tok Pisin is the most widely used language, so a short Tok Pisin line next to English is a low-cost test. Keep price and address unambiguous.
Is mobile money widely used?
Digicel's CellMoni reported about 1.6 million users in a July 2025 article. That figure comes from the provider's reporting through a news site, so treat it as a company number.
Do I need paid ads?
Not at the start. With low penetration, a complete Page, clear signage and word of mouth reach more of your market per kina. Test a small Meta budget only once the basics work.
Sources
- DataReportal: Digital 2025, Papua New Guinea
- World Bank: Papua New Guinea data (population, GDP per capita, 2025)
- Devpolicy: Mobile internet prices in PNG, stability amid infrastructure developments (June 2026)
- Devpolicy: Facebook use in the Pacific, all over the place (June 2024) (analysis of Facebook marketing data)
- Business Advantage PNG: Mobile wallets making moves in Papua New Guinea (July 9, 2025) (secondary; trade press)
- Wikipedia: Languages of Papua New Guinea (secondary; cites Ethnologue)
- Devpolicy: Internet prices in Papua New Guinea (2020) (dated; cost per megabyte and Facebook-only credit)
Want a simple plan for your business? See our free audit.
Free for local businesses
Want this applied to your business?
I'll review your Google presence, local SEO, and ad accounts — and send you a specific action plan within 48 hours. No pitch, no pressure.
Want hands-on help?
See how DataLatte handles Google Ads Management for local businesses.
📱 Social Media Ads
Facebook & Instagram ad campaigns managed for local businesses worldwide.
Nataliia
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
About NataliiaRelated articles
Local Marketing
Marketing in Zimbabwe: Online Reach for Small Business
6 min read
Local Marketing
Local Marketing in Vietnam: Facebook, TikTok, Zalo 2026
8 min read
Local Marketing
Local Marketing in Somalia: Mobile Money and Social
7 min read
Local Marketing
Local Marketing in Slovakia: Channels and Rules
7 min readWant this applied to your business?
Let's review your current marketing setup together — free, no obligations.
Get Your Free Marketing Audit