Black Friday in South Africa: Why Copycat Strategy Is Costly, Risky and Often an Illusion

A retail owner in Johannesburg once told me something that stayed with me:

“We don’t make money on Black Friday. We survive it.”

From the outside, South Africans see excitement:

• “Up to 70% off!”

• Countdown clocks

• Month-long early specials

• Crowded malls and overloaded websites

This year is no different. Game and Makro started specials in late October. Takealot kicks off its Blue Dot Sale on 25 November with early access for subscribers the day before and up to 60% off appliances, tech, beauty and more.

There’s nothing wrong with a great deal.

But behind the scenes, the story can look very different.

The Black Friday Customers Don’t See

That same retailer had to hire: ✔ Additional security ✔ Temporary cashiers and packers ✔ IT support in case of system crashes ✔ Extra drivers for online fulfilment ✔ Staff to handle returns and complaints

And in South Africa, security is not optional. If control slips, the risk is real for stock, staff and customers.

By Monday morning, the store looked successful. By Tuesday, the spreadsheet told the truth.

Black Friday didn’t build profit. It built pressure.

So why did they do it?

Her answer was the one so many businesses give:

“Because everyone else does.”

The Copy-Cat Trap

Black Friday works for big retail because their model was built for it:

• Suppliers subsidise discounts

• They negotiate bulk pricing

• They spread the sale over a month

• A loss on one product is recovered on thousands of others

Small and medium-sized businesses may not always be able to compete effectively.

But they feel the pressure to compete - not strategically, but emotionally.

It becomes business FOMO: “If we don’t join, we’ll lose customers.”

And then there’s the illusion of saving

A recent study revealed something unsettling:

✅ 6 out of 10 South African shoppers may be tricked into believing a Black Friday price is a “deal” — when the original price was inflated beforehand.

Fashion and electronics are the biggest culprits.

So the public thinks stores are winning. Shops think customers are winning. But many times, nobody is actually winning.

Instead of building trust, the illusion of discount erodes loyalty.

And then there’s the illusion of bargain

And then comes the illusion of value. The "bargain" on Black Friday isn't actually a bargain.

In South Africa, many retailers have learned a clever trick:

Sell old stock under the glow of a huge discount.

Outdated tech. Last season’s fashion. Appliances with older models already available. Products that sat in storerooms for months.

Instead of quietly marking them down over time, they wait for Black Friday - the one weekend where shoppers suspend logic and trust the tag.

Prices are often increased in October, only to be “slashed” back to normal when the sale begins. The public sees 50% off. But the math is closer to normal retail price.

It’s not value. It’s theatre.

And because the marketing machine is louder than the truth, South Africans walk away believing they saved, when many paid full price for slow-moving or outdated inventory.

Not all retailers are guilty of it, but enough are, that the trust is thinning.

Black Friday is supposed to be about real value. For many stores, it has become a convenient exit strategy for clearing storerooms.

When Discounting Becomes a Habit

Psychologically, when customers learn to wait for sales, they stop buying at full price. January and February, already tough months for South Africa’s economy, become even tougher.

Instead of value, businesses start selling volume. And volume is expensive.

Do the math - not the marketing

And let’s be honest, if you’re a retailer, it’s probably too late to pull out this year. The stock is bought. The marketing is out. The customers are expecting it. The machine is already running.

But consider this:

Run Black Friday this year, then calculate the real cost. Not the sales number. Not the foot traffic. The actual cost:

• Security

• Staff overtime

• Advertising

• Discounts vs margin

• Returns & damages

• Logistics

• Fraud & chargebacks

When the dust settles, ask yourself privately - Did this make money or did it make noise?

Because you don’t have to copy-paste it next year. You can design it.

Black Friday Isn’t the Enemy - Copy-Paste Thinking Is

Black Friday can work - if it is engineered into the business model.

But a copy-cat version? That drains cash, increases risk and often damages reputation.

So before the month-long sale banners go up, maybe it’s worth asking:

• Is this strategy… or pressure?

• Is this profit… or performance?

• Are we pursuing this because it benefits our business, or are we simply following others due to external pressures?

Because in South Africa, survival is a strategy too.

Sources:

• “Deal or No Deal? Black Friday 2025 price check for Mzansi” (The South African) — shows that 6 in 10 South African shoppers may be misled by fake discounts. The South African

• “Takealot reveals Black Friday 2025 plans and early deals” (MyBroadband) — details dates and examples of early deals for South Africa’s biggest online retailer. MyBroadband

• “Early Black Friday 2025 deals from Woolworths, Amazon, Makro and more” (BusinessTech) — describes how major South African retailers are stretching Black Friday into a multi-week event. BusinessTech

• “Makro and Game unveil early Black Friday deals” — BusinessTech, 22 Oct 2025. BusinessTech

• “Black Friday 2025 in South Africa: Trends, Stats & Payment Tips” — Netcash blog, 22 Aug 2025. Netcash

• “The ultimate Black Friday 2025 survival guide for South African e-commerce retailers” — BizCommunity (via TDMC), Oct 2025. Bizcommunity

• “Early Black Friday 2025 deals from Woolworths, Amazon, Makro and more” — BusinessTech, 28 Oct 2025. BusinessTech

• “Savvy South African shoppers kick off Black Friday deals early…” — IOL Business Report, 24 Oct 2025. IOL

• “Revisiting the Black Friday effect” — Statistics South Africa, Feb 2025. Statistics South Africa