South Africa's Black Friday spend soars as shoppers chased big ticket savings

SOUTH Africans showed buying confidence this Black Friday as spending surged by 64% compared to last year, defying continued financial pressures and proving that strong deals still have the power to draw consumers back into the market.

- ASHLEY LECHMAN

SOUTH Africans shopped with renewed confidence this Black Friday as spending jumped despite a tough economy.

(OUPA MOKOENA Independent Media)

Electronics emerged as the biggest winner, with sales tripling compared to last year.

Physical stores also outperformed online channels as shoppers opted for hands on evaluation of major purchases.

Industry analysts say this reflects the emotional nature of Black Friday shopping in South Africa, where customers still want to physically assess high value items before committing.

Health and beauty purchases soared to four times last year's levels while home furnishings spending rose three and a half times. Jewellery spending also tripled, highlighting pent up demand across discretionary categories.

Payment service providers recorded exceptional activity throughout the day.

Peach Payments, which has tracked Black Friday digital transactions in real time on its live dashboard, reported that its platform processed more than 80% of last year's entire Black Friday weekend in just one day.