Black Friday might just not be giving Black Friday anymore

by Nomonde Simelane

The month of November is a prominent one in South Africa for multiple reasons, and one of the main and biggest reasons is that it is the month of Black Friday. This year, the highly anticipated and equally chaotic day falls on 29 November 2024, and mzansi is already gearing up for the big day.

Similarly to many other American cultures and practices, Black Friday is now celebrated and recognised worldwide, with South Africa included. The day is usually commemorated on the first Friday after the American Thanksgiving holiday. The excitement and chaos are caused by the fact that retailers offer huge discounts on various items, this is done to mark the start of the festive holiday season.

This day was once an opportunity for families to score great deals at a fraction of the original prices, however, consumers have come out to express that the sales have not been having the effect over the past few years. These users have noted that the quality of Black Friday sales has not been helping people save, which defeats the whole point of the day.

One user has revealed that upon tracking some South African online stores, she has noticed that a handful of these companies have begun hiking their prices on selected items, in order for them to give off the illusion of a sale on the day that Black Friday is officially celebrated.

It appears many users echoed this sentiment, with a handful of users pointing fingers at popular e-commerce company Takealot as one of the biggest perpetrators of this scam that has left South Africans dissatisfied with Black Friday overall.

In true South African fashion, mzansi has come together to help each other save as much as possible, by sharing tips with each other. Some users have advised others about using serval.com to track takealot’s prices and avoid spending money unnecessarily, as well as making informed decisions as far as spending is concerned.

Other users have revealed that the January-February period tends to have better quality sales while having a fraction of the chaos Black Friday usually brings about, and the festive season in general.

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