BLACK FRIDAY REVIEW – How South Africans Shopped in 2025.

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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

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