Black Friday has come and gone, with sales ranging anywhere between 10% and 75%. The data shows that many South Africans certainly made the most of the day, with one big spender splurging almost R400,000 before sunrise on Friday morning.
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According to Business Insider, online shopping boomed on Black Friday, with South African consumers spending more than ever before. Massive single-basket purchases this year beat the biggest sales recorded in 2021.
The online payment platform PayFast has been tracking Black Friday transaction volumes over the past few years.
Gauteng recorded the highest volume of Black Friday transactions, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape had some of South Africa’s lowest numbers of transactions.
In 2021, the highest total purchase value for a single shopper was R169,844. This year, one shopper spent more than double that amount, with a purchase value of R397,217, split over two transactions between 3am and 4am on Friday morning.
It was recorded that online shoppers already began making purchases shortly after midnight but were the most active between 8am and 11am.
“Black Friday has become a highly anticipated annual event in South Africa, with people planning their wishlists weeks, and even months, in advance,” says Brendon Williamson, Managing Director of PayFast.
“Between high inflation and increased food, petrol, and energy costs, shoppers are more motivated than ever to take advantage of Black Friday deals – whether it’s to stock up on groceries and basic consumables, or a post-pandemic splurge.”
PayFast revealed that 70% of total transactions were made through mobile payments and the most popular shopping categories of the day were appliances, electronics, and beauty and fashion.
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