BLACK FRIDAY REVIEW – How South Africans Shopped in 2025.

Loading player...
Black Friday has evolved and so have South Africa’s spending habits. This week, we dive into Standard Bank’s latest consumer data with Tumelo Ramugondo, Head of Credit, to unpack what changed between Black Friday 2024 and 2025… and what those shifts say about the economy, confidence and priorities.

Standard Bank retail customers showed bigger baskets and bolder swipes with transaction volumes up 6.6% and spending values up 6.8% year-on-year. Credit cards led the charge, climbing 12.2%, reinforcing the return of consumer appetite and access to credit.

From record card swipes including a R864K furniture purchase and R734K international hotel booking to Cyber Monday’s explosive 20% spending surge, the deals weekend extended well beyond a single day. With digital wallets now at 11% of spend value and online transactions almost doubling their share, shoppers are leaning deeper into e-commerce convenience.
1 Dec 2025 3PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

The State of SA Insurance: Climate, Claims & Consumer Strain

South Africa’s insurers are navigating a perfect storm: higher catastrophe losses, rising claims inflation, affordability strain, and a shifting risk landscape shaped by climate volatility and crime. Santam’s Partner Solutions CEO, Gugu Mtetwa, unpacks the sector’s resilience, the worsening underinsurance problem, consumer behaviour shifts, and how insurers are adapting to…
22 Sep 1PM 24 min

Measured Momentum in SA Banking: Earnings Up, Risks Rising

South Africa’s major banks delivered headline earnings growth of 9.3% to R82.3 billion, stronger ROE at 20.5%, and improved cost‑to‑income ratios — but beneath the numbers lies a fragile domestic recovery and renewed inflation pressure. PwC’s Rivaan Roopnarain breaks down the competitive dynamics across retail, business, corporate and payments ecosystems,…
22 Sep 1PM 14 min

Crypto’s Turning Point: Sound Money Capital says Bear Market Dead

After eight months of grinding weakness, crypto snapped sharply higher in August — and Sound Money Capital was fully allocated ahead of the turn. CIO Rob Price explains why seller exhaustion, ETF capitulation, and policy intervention signal the end of the bear market. With Bitcoin reclaiming key resistance and market…
22 Sep 1PM 15 min

Bank Zero achieves Break-Even: 100,000 Customers, Zero Fees, Big Milestone

Bank Zero has achieved its first break‑even month — less than five years after launch and with only 100,000 customers. With cumulative capital investment under R300 million, a founder‑built core banking platform, zero card fraud, and a rapidly expanding deposit base, the bank is redefining digital banking efficiency. Michael Jordaan…
22 Sep 12PM 18 min

Portfolio Overhaul Pays Off: Remgro’s 42% Earnings Surge

Remgro delivered one of its strongest performances in years, with headline earnings up 42.3% and free cash flow at the centre more than doubling. CEO Neville Williams unpacks the strategic reshaping of the portfolio, the Mediclinic restructuring, the CIVH/Vodacom fibre deal, and the Group’s next phase of value unlock. A…
21 Sep 1PM 13 min