JOHANNESBURG — Black Friday has evolved from a simple imported sales event into a critical structural fixture in Africa’s commercial calendar, revealing key trends about consumer maturity, digital adoption and the need for brand integrity, according to Helen McIntee-Carlisle, president of the African Marketing Confederation.
McIntee-Carlisle notes that across several African markets, brands are shifting away from treating Black Friday as a mere gimmick, instead integrating the period into their structural planning for promotions, inventory and logistics.
Beyond Impulse Buying
The significance of the sales period, she says, lies not just in revenue spikes but in how consumers are changing their behavior. Faced with high inflation and the rising cost of living, a growing number of African consumers now plan their purchases carefully, saving money and timing their spending to acquire necessary or higher-value items.
However, this planning comes with rising consumer cynicism. An increasing number of shoppers can differentiate between genuine discounts and marketing hype, rewarding brands that couple steep price cuts with integrity.
“For the African Marketing Confederation, this signals a turning point: marketers must make authenticity a core part of their Black Friday strategy, not just the price point,” McIntee-Carlisle stated.
The Digital Shift and Mobile Dominance
Black Friday has become deeply digital across the continent. According to PayU GPO data, e-commerce purchase activity in South Africa rose 130% during Black Friday 2024 compared to a regular Friday. The average online basket size also increased to around 1,946 South African rand.
Mobile channels dominate this shift. In South Africa, 67% of Black Friday transactions were made on smartphones, underscoring the centrality of mobile commerce. Payment methods are also evolving, with open-banking EFT and alternative options like buy-now-pay-later seeing strong uptake.
McIntee-Carlisle says these trends underline the need for marketers to integrate mobile-first design, flexible payment options and seamless checkouts into campaign planning, often extending promotions into “Black November.”
Trust, Ethics and Loyalty
The African Marketing Confederation views Black Friday as a “trust test.” Marketers risk eroding long-term reputation if they rely on misleading deals or artificially inflated “original” prices.
McIntee-Carlisle advises marketers to focus on long-term loyalty strategies, investing in brand equity, community and ethical messaging rather than simple volume plays. Given the continent’s economic volatility, she stressed the importance of promoting responsible consumption and showing respect for consumers’ financial realities.
Strategic recommendations for African marketers include:
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Planning for a multi-day Black Friday window to spread demand.
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Building payment strategies that highlight open-banking and mobile channels.
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Being transparent in pricing and avoiding inflating original retail prices.
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Strengthening logistics and fulfilment capacity.
