Toilet paper, frozen chicken, cleaning products driving SA's Black Friday frenzy

South Africans may no longer be queuing overnight for flat-screen TVs, but Black Friday remains alive in a distinctly local style. 

Retailers have expanded the event from a single day to a week, even stretching into a month in some cases, focusing on everyday essentials rather than high-end electronics. 

Brandon de Kock, Director of Storytelling at BrandMapp, notes that while affluent consumers still buy electronics and luxury items, the focus for the majority has shifted to practical savings on items that stretch family budgets.

He says deals on items like toilet paper, frozen chicken, and household cleaning products are increasingly driving the frenzy.

"It's become like the bulk shop holiday moment. If you go back maybe eight or nine years, I think it was very much like the opportunity to buy that flat-screen TV that you'd always wanted at half price. Now, the biggest competition out there in the marketplace seems to be for two-ply toilet paper. It feels to me like the nature of the moment has changed completely, but it's still there, and the prices that are on offer and the specials that are on offer are real, it's not like they're faking it.”

To listen to De Kock in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: