From big TVs to basic necessities: how South Africans approached Black Friday

South Africans seemed to have dumped big ticket items such as big screen TVs during this year's shopping event of the season, Black Friday, and deal hunted for every day grocery items.  

This comes as consumers in the country continue to feel the bite from the cost-of-living crisis and look for ways to stretch their rands. 

According to a recent survey conducted by Debt Rescue, results showed that for ordinary citizens, Black Friday was no longer about affording little luxuries and more about survival.

South Africans have battled their way through another turbulent year of financial stress and strain, driven by relentless price increases and continued elevated interest rates, and the festive holiday retail experience of Black Friday no longer generates a sense of excitement and expectation among consumers as it has over the past decade.

CEO of Debt Rescue, Neil Roets, said that, for most consumers, this major shopping event is no longer about being able to splurge on little luxuries once a year, but rather to provide them with short-term relief by saving on essential items they need to stock the grocery cupboard, and, at the same time, freeing up a little cash to spend on a special festive season meal for the family.

"Insights from the survey we conducted are deeply concerning, showing that over half of our participants cannot afford Black Friday shopping at all this year, with as many confessing that the shopping event and the advertising campaign around it, has become a source of financial pressure and potential debt, and no longer engenders excitement," Roets said.

The November 2025 Household Affordability Index released this past week further supported the plight consumers face as it revealed a complex landscape for families across South Africa as they navigate food prices, with both increases and decreases reported for various basic foods over the past month.

Neil Roets said the latest data paints a sobering and deeply concerning picture of life for South African households heading into the festive season.

Roets said that the marginal dip does not translate into meaningful relief, especially when several essential staples have surged.

Potatoes jumped by 9%, frozen chicken portions rose by 2%, tomatoes increased by 2%, and key proteins became significantly more expensive, with beef rising by 22% and beef liver by 20% year-on-year.

These increases directly affect household budgets at a time when families are already stretched thin.

"With the cost of feeding a family of four at R3 699.52, parents are left with an impossible financial equation. The report also shows that South Africans are underspending on food by over 50%," the Debt Rescue CEO said.

While economic indicators such as interest rates and inflation have eased, signs of consumer distress persist. Absa’s Macroeconomics Research team recently reported a slight decline in consumer sentiment in Q3, based on the latest Bureau for Economic Research (BER) data. Despite this ongoing financial strain, the increase in card spending during this period suggests that consumers still want to participate in year-end promotions, while firmly prioritising affordability and essential purchases.

According to Absa's Mechant Spend Analytics, in 2024, the leading online spend categories were home and garden (35%), business and professional services (25%), clothing (16%), and food (13%).

While these categories consistently dominate overall card spend online, none recorded year-on-year growth.

In contrast, in-store transactions were concentrated in food (50%), clothing (16%), and business and professional services (11%).

Both food and clothing posted double-digit growth for in-store purchases, signalling that despite the rise of e-commerce, physical retail is still a strong driver of consumer spend.

One of the country's largest retailers, the Shoprite Group's Checkers store, this year ran their Black Friday promotions earlier in an online exclusive which ran from 20 to 23 November.

The company said that it saw Checkers Sixty60 achieving its highest-ever daily orders on Saturday, 22 November, marking a significant milestone for both the brand and its loyal customers.

Customers, who flocked to the app with over 1.9 million visits, enjoyed an average grocery delivery time of merely 33 minutes, evidence of the app's streamlined service during one of the busiest retail periods of the year.

While grocery staples dominated sales, big-ticket items also made a significant impact this year. Top grocery products included Clover Gouda and Cheddar Cheese, Cadbury Slabs, Nescafe Gold Instant Coffee, Butro Spread, and Tastic Long Grain Rice.

This is the time of year when consumers are bombarded with relentless Black Friday advertising, making it difficult to resist impulse purchases, however, insights from the Debt Rescue survey indicate that this year will be different - with more than half of those polled (58.3%) saying they will only be buying essentials like food and household items.

"This tells us that consumers are going to act with extreme caution this year, when it comes to emptying their wallets. People are really feeling the pinch, and I believe this is being driven by a fear of getting into even more debt.  With the average citizen now spending  around 80% of their income servicing debt every month, and millions more unable to afford even the basic necessities, this is understandable and commendable," Roets said. 

"My advice to those who have fallen into a debt trap is to seek help from a registered debt counsellor who can assist them to manage their financial predicament. This has been a very successful solution for thousands of consumers who are plagued by over-indebtedness," Roets added.

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