2021 Black Friday
Resurgence: Here or Not?

To the casual eye, Black Friday 2021 appears to have surpassed the pitfalls of 2020 and become resurgent across all metrics. Growth across number of transactions, turnover and the number of cards used to transact- is all too clear.

However when considering the ever-present threat the global pandemic poses; coupled with the looming threat of a new variant and fourth wave- Black Friday 2021 can be seen as rather subdued. Despite this and with retailers continuing to offer prolonged deals throughout the duration of November and early December 2021, spending has shown the adaptability and prudent nature of South African consumers as they continue to adopt digital payment channels that provide not only safety and security in the face of the pandemic, but as they change their spending behaviors in anticipation of turbulent times which might lie ahead.