Black Friday deals were aplenty in November. Recent retail trade sales data show how consumers allocated their spending between November and December, and how this split has shifted over time.

The impact of Black Friday was previously covered using data for 2019, 2021¹ and 2024.² Retail trade sales figures published last month provide an update for 2025. Adjusted for inflation, total sales in November 2025 amounted to R117,9 billion, representing a 3,6% rise compared with November the previous year.

Although it is difficult to know how much of the R117,9 billion was due to Black Friday, the data can provide a clue to its influence by comparing November with December. This is done by adding November and December sales together, then exploring how November’s contribution has changed over time. Figure 1 below shows the tug of war between the two months from 2011 to 2025.

In South Africa, Black Friday was first introduced online in 2012,³ with physical stores gradually taking up the initiative over the next few years.⁴ In 2011, a year before the online appearance of Black Friday, November contributed 42,5% of November–December sales, rising to a high of 46,4% in 2019. November’s share eased to 44,6% in 2023, before rising to 45,9% in 2025.

Analysing the different retail types reveals interesting results. Most retail types, except one, recorded higher November contributions in 2025 than in 2011 (see Figure 2 below).

General dealers (including supermarkets), household goods retailers, and retailers listed in the all ‘other’ category recorded the largest increases. The all ‘other’ retailers category comprises smaller merchants, such as those specialising in stationery, jewellery and sports goods.

Hardware, paint & glass was the exception, registering a decline from 52,0% to 51,4%. What is notable about hardware, paint & glass is that it is the only retail type that consistently generates more sales in November than December. This has more to do with seasonal buying behaviour than Black Friday, as most consumers opt to do maintenance work in November rather than during the festive season.

What is even more interesting about hardware, paint & glass is that it’s the only retail type that has its busiest month outside of December, when the entire year is taken into account. Figure 3 below shows how hardware, paint & glass generates the largest share of sales in November, while other retailers experience their busiest time in December.

December is particularly busy for textiles & clothing, household goods, food & beverages and general dealers. November has made inroads, though, grabbing a larger share of annual sales in the 2011–2025 period.

To summarise, what clues do the latest data tell us about Black Friday? First, November continues to eat into end-of-year sales slowly. Second, November has taken a larger share of sales from December across all retail types, most notably among general dealers, household goods retailers, and retailers listed in the all ‘other’ retailers category. The exception is hardware, paint & glass, which saw a decline in its contribution to November sales between 2011 and 2025.

The media recently covered the role of e-commerce in Black Friday sales. Stats SA will delve into data from its reports to explore the general extent of e-commerce in South Africa. This will be covered in a future article.

For more information, download the December 2025 retail trade sales statistical release here.

¹ Stats SA, Black Friday and shifts in consumer behaviour [25 November 2022] (read here).

² Stats SA, Revisiting the Black Friday effect [28 February 2025] (read here).

³ BusinessTech, Takealot.com prepares for record volumes for its annual Blue Dot Sale [15 November 2022] (read here).

⁴ Retailing Africa, The rise and rise of Black Friday in SA [28 November 2022] (read here).

Similar articles are available on the Stats SA website and can be accessed here.

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