While last year's Black Friday saw a dip in spending despite more South Africans participating than the previous year, this year the shopping event occurs after the private sector payday, and new research by PwC's Strategy& division forecasts a 36% increase in Black Friday spending in 2019.
According to the Strategy& report, on Black Friday 2018, South African retail sales increased by 1,952% compared to an ordinary shopping day, and compared to an ordinary Friday, Black Friday sales increased by 2,571% in South Africa in 2018 – ranking the country in the top five globally.
These are some of the big retail brands that have confirmed participation in the shopping event this year.
Takealot’s five-day Blue Dot Sale starts on Black Friday (29 November), with new deals introduced throughout the weekend as well as on Cyber Monday (2 December) and Takealot Tuesday (3 December), with up to 60% off "thousands of items". Takealot will also give shoppers exclusive early access to some of its Black Friday deals starting on 24 November. New app-only deals will be added daily too.
The Superbalist Showdown will run from 29 November to 3 December with up to 70% off more than 15,000 items. Superbalist shoppers will also have early access to Black Friday deals on selected days throughout November with Superbalist’s Black Friday Spoilers - 24 hours to shop deals that "won’t be beaten" on Black Friday.
Makro will run deals over five days – from 27 November to 1 December – dubbing the sale ‘Black5Day’. There will be "big price cuts" on over 26,000 products, including gaming consoles, washing machines, TVs, laptops and beer. Special deals will be made available through the Makro app, and a R90 delivery fee will apply for all online and in-store purchases.
Game is offering a total of R100 million in savings. The promotion is running from 13 November to 3 December, with weekly deals on a variety of products, including furniture, foods, automotive, cellular, baby products and DIY tools. These savings will culminate in the Black Friday sale on 29 November, when 96 Game stores will open for trade at midnight. The retailer is also offering exclusive deals online on the day.
On Black Friday, the Shoprite Group is promising "deep-cut specials that offer real value" across its over 1,000 Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores in the country. Customers can take advantage of extended Black Friday trading hours, and members of Checkers' newly launched Xtra Savings rewards programme will be the first to receive advance notifications of Black Friday deals on offer at the retailer.
Woolworths is offering up to 50% off across fashion, beauty and homeware across stores, online and through its app. Every time you swipe your MySchool My Village My Planet or linked Woolies card between 28 November and 1 December, Woolworths will – on top of its contribution to your chosen cause – assist in providing over 200,000 people with a daily meal.
Pick n Pay has been running weekly Black November ‘teaser’ deals for its online customers across Gauteng and the Western Cape in the lead up to Black Friday on 29 November, with discounts of up to 50% across various categories. On 29 November, Pick n Pay supermarkets will have deals on everyday items while its hypermarkets will also offer deals on a range of appliances and electronics. All tills points will be open to minimise queue times.
Spar is running a 3-day Black Friday sale from 27 to 29 November, with "massive discounts" on everyday essentials like Nescafe Classic Coffee and Nola Mayonnaise, with Spar Rewards members scoring an additional discount on the sale price.
In addition, on Black Friday, 2,000 Spar Rewards members can win their shopping for free by spending R500 or more, and then swiping their rewards card or leaving their details at the till.
Black Friday deals at Clicks will cover a range of merchandise, including makeup, bath and body products, towel sets, headphones, bluetooth earphones, household appliances, electrical beauty products, and diagnostic products such as blood pressure monitors, nebulisers and infrared thermometers.
In the run-up to Black Friday, from 21 November to 27 November, the retailer is offering discounts of up to 50% and 3-for-2 deals both online and in-store.
Online eco-retailer Faithful to Nature is running its #FTNBlack5Day sale from 25 to 29 November, giving shoppers up to 60% off top-selling food, health and beauty ranges. This year, the retailer will be donating a percentage of its #Black5Day profits to the Wildlife in Trade programme run by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, an NGO championing animal conservation, land conservation and local community growth in Africa.
Dis-Chem has confirmed it will run Black Friday promotions, starting 29 November and running until 1 December. Categories on sale include beauty and fragrance, face and body care, hair care, baby care, dental care, health essentials, toiletries and household items. There will also be online and in-store exclusives.
Wellness Warehouse is running online-only Black Friday deals from 1 November to 1 December across its beauty and home categories.
Old Khaki is offering up to 50% off selected tees & footwear and R100 off selected men’s swim shorts, while Poetry will have 30% off selected dresses, printed tees and ladies’ footwear.
At Tread+Miller, shoppers can score up to 50% off selected men’s and ladies’ footwear, and 30% off wedding accessories, and Old Khaki is offering up to 50% off selected tees and footwear as well as R100 off selected men’s swim shorts. Keedo will be offering 40% off selected summer items, and Cape Union Mart has also confirmed its Black Friday participation on 29 November.
New UCook customers get 60% off their box this Black Friday with the code #BLACKFRIDAY0193. Choose from between 2 and 4 meals in the box, which is then delivered each Monday with recipes and fresh ingredients.
Edgars will launch its Black Friday promotion on 28 November, which will be exclusive to Thank You cardholders. Discounts will be available across fashion, beauty and home.
Adidas has confirmed participation in the Black Friday sale event on 29 November, with discounts of up to 50% off. Shoppers are encouraged to sign up to the Adidas 3Stripes community to gain access to special offers and discounts for 3Stripes members.
Puma South Africa is running a week's worth of deals between Monday, 25 November and Sunday, 1 December. Shoppers can score up to 60% off on footwear, apparel and accessories at Puma retail stores (including Puma Select) and up to 70% off on items at Puma factory outlets.
For its Blackout Sale, Zando will boast discounts of up to 70% on fashion brands including Puma, New Balance, Sissy Boy, Polo and Levi's. The exclusive deals will be revealed at 12 am on Black Friday morning.
Converse is promising up to 70% off selected styles at Converse stores. It will also be running a 'buy 3 t-shirts and get the cheapest one free' promotion.
Billabong is celebrating a Black Friday Week from 25 November to 2 December, with savings of up to 65% off.
iStore has launched its Grey Friday deals for 2019, a promotion it describes as "Black Friday but a week earlier". The specials will be available online only, between 9am and 9pm on 22 November. Items on sale include Macbook bundle deals, iPads, iPhones, Apple TVs, headphones, covers and various accessories.
Rent-to-own online retailer, Teljoy, will be running its Black Friday sale from 25 November to 2 December. Deals will span a number of categories, with a specific focus on TVs, appliances and gadgets. Newsletter subscribers will be the first know about Black Friday specials.
This list will be updated as new deals are announced.
