When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday is fast approaching, with South African shoppers gearing up for one of the biggest shopping events of the year.

In 2026, Black Friday falls on Friday, 27 November.

The date is determined by the US Thanksgiving calendar, with Black Friday taking place on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In 2026, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, 26 November.

What IS BLACK FRIDAY?

Despite the name now being associated with bargain hunting and major retail discounts, Black Friday has a rather less glamorous history.

The term is believed to have originated in Philadelphia in the 1950s and 1960s, when police officers used it to describe the chaos caused by heavy traffic and crowds of shoppers flooding the city on the day after Thanksgiving.

The crowds were also boosted by visitors arriving for the annual Army-Navy American football game, which takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Police officers faced long shifts managing traffic and busy shopping streets.

Retailers initially disliked the negative association with the name and later promoted a more positive explanation.

According to the popular retail explanation, Black Friday is the day when stores move from being financially in the red (making a loss) to in the black (making a profit), thanks to increased holiday shopping.

While this explanation helped popularise the name, it is not considered its original meaning. The Philadelphia police connection is the better-supported historical origin.

The name eventually caught on across the US and became associated with the start of the Christmas shopping season before spreading internationally as a major retail event.

When is Cyber Monday 2026?

Cyber Monday follows Black Friday and will take place on Monday, 30 November 2026.

The event traditionally focuses more heavily on online shopping, although South African retailers increasingly run promotions across several days rather than limiting them to one day.

When do Black Friday sales start?

The good news is shoppers do not necessarily have to wait until 27 November to find deals.

The traditional single-day event has increasingly become a month-long ‘Black November’ shopping period, with retailers launching promotions weeks before the main day.

For example, Takealot began its Black Friday-priced deals on 26 October, with new deals running weekly until 23 November before its main Black Friday event on 27 November.

Woolworths also launched its 2026 specials on 23 October, while other retailers are running their own early promotions.

Massmart brands including Makro, Game, Builders and Walmart have also announced early deals running from 1 to 22 November.

Black Friday promotions typically cover a wide range of categories, including electronics, appliances, clothing, beauty, homeware and everyday essentials.

Takealot’s data from Black Friday 2025 showed particularly strong interest in technology, appliances and household products, including TVs, gaming consoles, tablets and air fryers.

However, shoppers should compare prices rather than automatically assuming that every Black Friday discount is the best deal.

With many retailers starting promotions early, checking the price of an item before the big day can also help determine whether a discount is genuinely worthwhile.