Black Friday spending soars in South Africa as one shopper drops $66,000

Black Friday spending in South Africa has surged to striking levels, with payment processor, Peach Payments’ live dashboard showing nearly R1.1 million ($66,000) in travel and tourism transactions. By 9 am SAT,  the payments processor reported that about R380,000 ($22,800) transactions were made in travel and R336,000 ($20,160) in retail.

Discovery Bank, the country’s eighth-largest bank by total assets, also reported that a single shopper made a card purchase worth R500,000 (approximately $30,000). The figure, displayed on the bank’s SpendTrend dashboard at 11 am Southern African time (SAT), highlights the scale of consumer demand driving this year’s retail activity.

This surge in activity reflects a wider structural shift in South African commerce.  The country’s e-commerce revenue is projected to surpass R130 billion ($8 billion) by the end of 2025, approaching a 10% share of the national retail market. This projection is highlighted in the Online Retail in South Africa 2025 report, compiled by World Wide Worx in partnership with Mastercard, Peach Payments and Ask Afrika.

The report indicates that online retail expanded by 35% in 2024 to reach R96 billion ($5.76 billion), accounting for 8% of overall retail sales. That momentum has continued through 2025, with the sector growing at an annualised rate of 38%, outpacing traditional retail, which recorded growth of only 2.5% in 2024 and 1.6% by mid-2025.

Read: South Africans ditch cash and cards for digital payments, new report shows

Both Discovery Bank and Peach Payments indicate that online transaction volumes are well above 2024 levels, highlighting a shift in consumer behaviour toward digital purchasing channels.

 “We are closely monitoring all our transactions and already seeing impressive growth this Black Friday,” said Peach Payments CEO Rahul Jain. “Our early morning transaction counts from midnight to 9 am are already double compared to 2024.” 

Leading retailers and payment trends

Discovery Bank data shows that by 15:44, Woolworths was the leading in-store card transactions, while Takealot held the highest total online Rand value. Checkers Sixty60, meanwhile, dominates the number of individual online transactions, driven largely by frequent, lower-value purchases for essential items.

Card payments remain the dominant payment method on Peach Payments’ platform, with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express leading, followed by Pay by Bank options. 

Regional spending patterns also reveal strong participation from major economic hubs. The Western Cape accounts for approximately 65% of Peach Payments’ transaction value, while Gauteng contributes 34%. Discovery Bank data indicates that in-store spending is highest in Johannesburg.

This preliminary data suggests that Black Friday is becoming a critical indicator of South Africa’s evolving retail landscape. The surge in high-value online transactions reflects growing consumer trust in digital payments and the strengthening capacity of online retail infrastructure.

As retailers expand their digital presence and payment providers scale to support higher transaction loads, South Africa’s shift toward a digitally driven retail economy appears increasingly entrenched.

Read: South Africa’s online retail boom exceeds $7bn as Amazon, Shein, Temu shake up the market

This is a developing story. A comprehensive analysis will follow after Black Friday trading concludes.