Black Friday 2025: Deals, Scams, and What Really Matters

When you hear Black Friday 2025, the annual shopping event where retailers slash prices to clear inventory before the holidays. Also known as the biggest sale day of the year, it’s when millions of people line up—or click—looking for bargains that might save them hundreds. But here’s the thing: most of what you see isn’t a deal at all. It’s a trick. Retailers raise prices in October, then drop them back to "original"—which was never the real price. You’re not saving money; you’re just paying the new normal.

Real savings come from knowing what to watch. Online deals, discounts offered through e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Jumia, or local South African stores. Also known as digital sales events, they’ve exploded since 2020, with African shoppers spending more than ever—but also falling for fake countdown timers and phantom stock alerts. Then there’s shopping scams, fake websites, cloned apps, and phishing emails that steal your card details under the guise of Black Friday discounts. Also known as holiday fraud, these scams spiked 67% in 2024, according to South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority. You don’t need to buy everything. You just need to buy smart.

Holiday sales, the broader season of discounts from November through December, including Cyber Monday and Boxing Day. Also known as end-of-year retail push, they’re not just about TVs and sneakers. This year, expect big moves in electronics, home goods, and even data bundles from providers like MTN and Vodacom. But don’t get distracted by flashy ads. The best deals are often hidden in email newsletters you signed up for months ago, or in loyalty programs you already belong to. And if you’re shopping from South Africa, remember: international shipping fees and import taxes can eat up half your savings. Sometimes, buying local—even at full price—is cheaper in the long run.

What you’ll find below isn’t a list of "top 10 deals." That’s noise. What you’ll find are real stories from people who got burned, saved big, or walked away with nothing but a receipt and a lesson. From a mom in Kroonstad who bought a fridge for 40% off after waiting three weeks, to a student in Cape Town who lost R3,000 to a fake website, these aren’t hypotheticals. They happened. And they’ll happen again unless you know how to spot the signs. This isn’t about getting the best price. It’s about not getting ripped off at all.