The biggest single Black Friday transaction has already been concluded with a consumer paying R122 195 for a set of light-grey outdoor modular couches.
Last year, some of the highest single transactions included R780 000 for a piece of jewellery from Cartier, reported by FNB, while Capitec reported that the largest single-card purchases were R287 535.82 at a grocery store, R245 590.38 for home improvements and hardware, and R53 980.69 at a clothing store.
You do not pay for these kinds of purchases with cash – imagine walking around with R780 000 in cash! Therefore, the big payments and many of the smaller ones will be paid for by card.
Alex Forsyth-Thompson, CEO of Float, says the long-anticipated Black Friday-related trading reveals a significant shift in how South African credit card holders approach big-ticket purchases, with Float, a card-linked instalment platform, processing transactions worth hundreds of thousands of rands as shoppers increasingly prioritise cashflow management over traditional deal-hunting.
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Data shows consumers do not wait for Black Friday
“The data shows shoppers are using Float strategically throughout November, rather than waiting exclusively for Black Friday discounts. November 2025 data show shopping momentum building well ahead of Black Friday, with average order values climbing 10% compared to the same period in October.
“Month to date, Float already recorded its largest transaction of the month at R122 195, signalling that shoppers are making significant purchases earlier in the season.”
The most significant transaction Float recorded in November last year was a R178 493 furniture purchase, made the night before Black Friday, while the second-largest order was R85 801 from a home store on Cyber Monday.
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What are consumers buying in November 2025 and on Black Friday?
Forsyth-Thompson says electronics and appliances continue to dominate, accounting for 45% of all transactions month to date. Float found that consumers typically struggle to buy these upfront.
“Major deals are already live at key merchants, with up to 45% off at Samsung.com and other leading deals from iStore, iStore Pre-owned and DigiCape.”
The home category accounts for 24% of transactions, including furniture, homeware, home improvement and garden purchases. Mattresses, couches and rugs are proving particularly popular, with the month’s largest single transaction coming from a furniture merchant.
Sport, hobbies and outdoor gear represent another top category this month, with gym equipment, cycling and golf gear among the top purchases. This represents another key category for Float, as these high-value items are often difficult for consumers to buy without flexible payment solutions.
Fashion and footwear account for 12% of transactions, while the 2024 Black Friday weekend accounted for 20% of Float’s November transaction volume, with the average order value from 1 November to 2 December at R9 254. Notably, 32.2% of all transactions exceeded R10 000.
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FNB also expects consumers to spend, spend, spend
FNB expects more than R3.3 billion in Black Friday spend, driven by strong digital activity. The bank anticipates another strong day of spending on Black Friday this year, with continued growth expected in digital payments, online shopping and overall transactions.
Akshay Bhayroo, head of credit card business development at FNB, says early signals across 2025 show consistent customer spending.
In 2024, he says, more than R5.4 billion in transactions were processed on FNB Speedpoint devices throughout the weekend. E-commerce was a major driver of activity, recording a 37% increase in transaction values and a 76% increase in transaction volumes. Virtual Card spend grew by 59% year-on-year, contributing more than R600 million to total Black Friday spend.
“Based on last year’s performance and the bank’s year-to-date activity, FNB expects similar patterns this year. Digital wallets and virtual cards remain among the fastest-growing payment methods, while cash continues to decline across the market. Online shopping is expected to accelerate further as more customers seek convenience, security and competitive promotions.”
Bhayroo says customer behaviour over the year shows that South Africans are making deliberate choices about how and when they spend, such as shifting their budgets towards essentials, prioritising discounts and timing purchases to align with promotional periods.
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More digital payments expected this Black Friday (and November)
“We expect digital payments to play an even larger role this Black Friday as customers look for convenience, safety and real value. Last year set a strong foundation, and the momentum across 2025 suggests that this year will follow a similar pattern of steady growth across both online and in-store retail.”
FNB anticipates earlier shopping behaviour to continue. Last year, spending the week before the main Black Friday event increased by 25% compared to 7% the year before, and retailers again released promotions earlier than in previous years.
Grocery, clothing and entertainment categories are likely to remain the most active, with tourism and apparel expected to show continued resilience.
Bhayroo says the anticipated trends reflect broader shifts in customer behaviour, including greater comfort with secure digital payments, a growing preference for contactless options and increased use of rewards to stretch household budgets.
Last year, online shopping accounted for 42% of all credit card customers’ spending, a 17% year-on-year increase, while digital wallets accounted for 18% of all in-store transactions, up 43% year-on-year.
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