Black Friday isn’t a borrowed sales tactic in South Africa anymore. It is a defining event on the holiday calendar which carries quite a bit of the Christmas weight.
In the past, payday and Christmas bonuses plus last-minute gifting made the weeks leading up to Christmas among the best for retailers, but Black Friday has changed this story. A lot.
When it first emerged on the local retail scene, Black Friday was dismissed as a US import with little relevance. It was considered another attempt to get into shoppers’ wallets with little to no real value. Over time, however, this has been proven to be the opposite, as retailers really dive into deals and give consumers exceptional discounts that benefit them across both daily living and festive gifting.
Now, Black Friday is the defining moment of the year. For shoppers, it’s the start of the festive season, and for retailers, it sets the tone for the holiday trading cycle.
In 2024, the data from an Ecentric Payment Systems analysis showed the four-day stretch from Black Friday to Cyber Monday generated more than one in 10 holiday transactions, with online volumes up by 30% and in-store revenue doubling compared to 2023.
Retailers are also not pacing themselves for December anymore; instead, they’re bracing for an intense burst of demand in late November. Holiday shopping is compressed into a narrow window that outmuscles the rest of the calendar.
Shoppers want variety and the convenience of e-commerce alongside the sensory engagement of the store.
One of the biggest drivers of Black Friday, other than some outrageous discounts, is the experience. Online platforms have proliferated thanks to mobile-first design, quick checkouts and fast fulfilment, and the deals make them fun and quick to navigate.
Yet, consumers have come back to physical stores for the atmosphere, hands-on product experiences and exclusive promotions. This trend has also pushed in-store revenue to its highest level.
The message is clear – shoppers want variety and the convenience of e-commerce alongside the sensory engagement of the store. Retailers capable of blurring the line and creating ‘buy online but collect instore’ promotions, or running synchronised promotions across platforms, are going to see interesting returns.
The data from the survey also showed that when people spend is changing. In 2023, the biggest spending surge came after Black Friday, but in 2024, this was the Black Friday weekend itself.
There has been a psychological shift in consumer behaviour where Black Friday has grown to represent an anchor event that they use to hunt for bargains, plan ahead with bulk buying, and stretch the rand even further.
Retailers can capitalise on this trend by focusing on inventory planning and logistics, designing promotions and offers that are geared towards this early and concentrated rush.
Looking ahead to Black Friday 2025, on 28 November, the rules have changed. The omnichannel is non-negotiable as shoppers want consistency across all the platforms they choose, whether these are physical or digital.
Personalisation is also important, so it’s key to look at data-driven recommendations for customers and targeted deals that allow retailers to zone in on customer needs to gain the best possible returns.
Finally, there’s also a move to high-tech engagement using augmented reality (AR), virtual reality or interactive displays to elevate the journey across stores and sites.
Using AR-powered apps, consumers can preview products at home and then go in-store to purchase, which narrows the gap between online and in-person shopping. These tools are a clever way of getting consumers on board with sale items before the sale begins, giving them the confidence to click on ‘add to cart’.
As South Africa’s Black Friday evolves from experiment to institution, perhaps the big question for 2025 isn’t whether the shoppers will turn up but whether retailers can keep up with them.
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