Optimising Online Payments Ahead of Black Friday 2025
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September 26, 2025Ready to cash in on this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Every November becomes a battleground of sales pitches, discounts, and who can come up with the best marketing ideas. The secret to success lies in having an edge over your competitors, which is achieved through well-oiled behind-the-scenes operations.
Which brings us to today’s topic: How small businesses can prepare for BFCM to outperform everyone else. This article provides practical BFCM strategies specifically for South African SMEs (or SMBs), focusing on payment flexibility, customer experience, and marketing tactics.
So, don’t get left behind in the dust. It’s time to straighten out those wrinkles and have yourself a smooth Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2025.
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Why BFCM still matters for SMEs
One thing many merchants ask themselves is, “Has the hype for BF and CM died down?”. If you’re still wondering if targeting BF is still a good business move, then wonder no more.
A recent survey done by Debt Rescue reported that 66% of consumers intended to take part in Black Friday, with 83% hunting deals to help with rising household costs. This means that BFCM is no longer just about buying luxury items on sale, such as fancy tech gadgets and huge TV screens. It’s also about scoring big on everyday, essential products like toiletries and groceries.
This proves that BFCM remains highly relevant in South Africa, regardless of some changes in shopping behaviour. All this means is that SMEs need to learn how to adapt to ever-changing consumer habits. The point is, it’s still a major shopping event in SA and a lucrative time for sales.
But why is it still so relevant today?
The country’s current economic strain, high unemployment rate, inflation, and rising cost of living encourage many to actively seek deals to stretch their money. Black Friday, no longer just 24 hours, has evolved into Black November, which has become synonymous with affordability.
There’s also been a widespread digital adoption that has made it easier for consumers who live in remote areas or are unable to visit shops for whatever reason to participate. The South African population has experienced increased access to online shopping platforms and mobile payment methods, which have made finding BF deals easy and instant.
Finally, for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), BF and CM present a glowing opportunity to attract new customers, boost sales, and improve brand visibility.
Here’s how SA businesses can benefit from Black Friday
- Boost in sales and revenue: Many consumers are open to trying new brands during BFCM, making small players more visible among big players.
- Digital exposure and reach: Thanks to online visibility and mobile-friendly stores, Small businesses can now attract customers on a national level and no longer just depend on local walk-ins. Platforms like Netcash and marketplaces like Takealot, Makro or Amazon, enable SMBs to compete digitally and reach a wider customer base.
- Customer acquisition and retention: Offering quality products or services at a special price can attract first-time buyers, who can become repeat customers. Then, BF promotions bundles with email signups and loyalty programs can help build a long-term customer base.
- Brand awareness and trials: BF is a high-traffic period that allows SMBs to build brand awareness through social media engagement and targeted marketing. Merchants can also test new products, services, and trial pricing strategies.
- Inventory clearance: You can use this period to clear out any excess stock or end-of-season products to make room for summer and festive inventory.
5 budget-friendly marketing ideas for Black Friday 2025, South Africa
By now, you’re probably convinced that Black November is not going anywhere any time soon. Knowing how much it can benefit your small business, you must be on the edge of your seat to get started. However, not all Black Friday marketing ideas are worth pursuing.
You’d want to approach BF with ideas that are solid, guaranteed to work, and won’t cost you a pretty penny. Below are some of the best budget-friendly BFCM strategies for small to medium-sized businesses in South Africa.
1. WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp is not just a savvy social app; it’s also an effective marketing tool that’s free or very low-cost. And since it's the most used social media platform in South Africa (93.9% of active social media users), it only makes sense to take advantage of the app.
Use WhatsApp Business to create a broadcast list of loyal customers, allowing you to send updates, promotions, and announcements to multiple people simultaneously. Consider personalised messages or images with prices and QR codes, like Zapper payment links. You can send limited-time offers, exclusive bundle deals, early-bird discounts, and more.
2. Email marketing campaigns
Emails are another affordable way to reach customers and drive direct engagement. Start with the free version of tools such as Mailchimp or MailerLite to inform customers of the latest promotions.
You can offer discounts to anyone who signs up before Black Friday or include click-to-pay links or QR codes for instant checkout. Lastly, emails can also be used to tease upcoming deals, such as “Black November preview”.
3. Social media
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are basically a free storefront for your business. These are excellent for quick, visual content that can entice new or existing customers. Think story polls like “which deal do you want more?”, or before/after shots.
You can run a countdown campaign such as “X days before Black Friday” to build up some excitement and appeal.
4. Bundle products and services
Selling bundle products or services during BFCM can increase average order value with minimal discounting. Start by creating themed bundles like “essential home combo, buy three for two”, or “weekend pamper pack”.
Angle these as limited stock, such as “only x amount left” to drive urgency. Otherwise, use simple flyers, posters, or social posts to promote bundles.
5. Partner with local businesses
Small businesses can collaborate to create joint offers, such as “Buy from us, get 20% off at [Partner Business].” These specials can be cross-promoted via email, social media, and in-store flyers. You can even run small giveaways or competitions together.
A good example is a small salon and coffee shop partnering up to offer a “relax and treat” voucher combo. Either way, you’re sharing costs and audience, earning yourselves double exposure.
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Flexible payment methods to offer in 2025
The checkout stage is the final stretch before securing a new sale. And it’s also the most significant part to get right. Frustrate your customers with overly complicated steps, unfamiliar payment options and requests, and you’ll be left with abandoned carts.
Thus, offering flexible payment methods is crucial on Black Friday. The options you provide directly impact customer experience, conversion rates, and overall sales. Many shoppers end up abandoning carts when they can’t pay the way they prefer.
So, offering a wide variety of payment methods can:
- Remove barriers to purchase
- Cater to budget-conscious shoppers with BNPL and pay-over-time options
- Improve checkout convenience and speed
- Build trust and credibility
- Help you compete with larger retailers
That said, here are some of the top payment options to offer if you want to remove friction, build trust, and help close more sales during the biggest shopping event of the year:
- Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): These solutions, including Payflex, PayFast, and PayJustNow, are becoming increasingly popular each day. Ideal for budget-conscious shoppers, BNPL allows them to split payments into interest-free instalments, stretching their money a bit further.
- Instant EFT: These include Ozow, PayFast, and Peach Payments that facilitate direct bank transfers without card details. They are quick and safe, appealing to shoppers who prefer more secure bank payments or who don’t want to use credit cards.
- Card payments: Credit and debit cards are still the most widely used payment method among online shoppers. They are fast, familiar, and accepted almost everywhere.
- Digital/mobile wallets and QR codes: Think Zapper or SnapScan. These are convenient options that provide a quick and mobile-first checkout experience. It’s a must-add, since most customers are shopping from their mobile devices these days.
- Prepaid vouchers and mobile money: Services like 1Voucher or MTN MoMo allow you to reach unbanked customers in rural or isolated areas where banking access is limited.
- Cash on delivery (COD): Yes, there are still some customers who do not trust online payments or lack access to digital methods in 2025. If you’re catering to a rural region or smaller towns, having this option will do wonders.
- Multi-payment gateways: Don’t know where to begin? It may be best to consider a payment gateway that offers multiple options in one place. Platforms like Netcash are excellent for this, making integration easier and the customer experience smoother.
Ultimately, you want to offer a mixed bag of traditional and more tech-savvy alternative payment methods that’ll suit every type of shopper. Cater for debit spenders, credit users, mobile-first buyers, or deal hunters on a tight budget, and you’ll have more complete sales.
Using data to optimise BFCM performance
If you want to stand out among your competitors, then start by using data from previous BFCM events to optimise your performance this year. Learn from previous successes and failures: what worked, what didn’t.
The best part? You don’t have to look far. This section will dive into how you can utilise data from other small businesses to step up your game and become a key player.
Let’s look at what worked for other small businesses during the BFCM madness so that you can use these insights to perform better:
Strategies to boost sales
- Started promotions early: SMBs that had successful BFCMs in recent years began extending their BF deals from the start of November and throughout the season. This means they could spread out demand, avoid logistical chaos, and give shoppers more time to buy.
- Used tiered discounts: You can offer customers higher percentages off items the more they spend. For example, “spend R500 and get 15% off” and “spend R1500 and get 25% off”.
- Offered bundled products and services: Smaller retailers have been creating value-added bundles, such as “buy 2 get 1 free”, to boost average basket sizes.
Methods to attract more customers
- Leverage social media marketing: This is a cost-effective way that many SMBs utilise to promote BF material, including countdowns, teasers, and influencer shoutouts.
- Email and SMS marketing: SMBs are capturing leads well before November through early access deals or VIP discounts to subscribers.
- Local promotions: Tapping into hyperlocal platforms and spaces such as Facebook groups or neighbourhood WhatsApp channels, and local influencers has helped many businesses connect with nearby customers.
- Smart collaborations: By partnering up with other complementary small brands, businesses were able to cross-promote and expand their reach.
Tactics to keep existing customers loyal
- Loyalty points and rewards: Many SMBs started introducing loyalty programs where points earned on Black Friday could be redeemed during December (another peak time for sales).
- Top-notch customer care: Many merchants started realising how vital and effective exceptional customer care service is, especially during the BF frenzy when many things can go wrong. Being super responsive, going the extra mile, and offering extra rewards show how much you care and keep customers loyal.
- Personalised follow-up: The hard work doesn’t end with a closed sale. Sending a follow-up thank you email, post-purchase tips, or tailored upsell keeps existing customers interested in the long run.
Smart moves to avoid bottlenecks
- Provided multiple payment methods: We’ve already covered how important this is, which is why many SMBs started offering more payment options. These range from BNPL providers like Payflex to subscriptions and QR codes through Scan to Pay.
- Invested in checkout readiness: eCommerce businesses that saw growth ensured a fast, mobile-friendly site with reliable payment gateways to prevent crashes or cart abandonment.
- Prepared inventory in advance: By analysing data from previous events, these SMBs ensured their top-selling items were in stock and had backup plans for replenishment.
- Partnered up with local couriers: Many merchants have started working with same-day or local delivery services instead of relying on overwhelmed national couriers for quicker delivery times.
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Beat cart abandonment this BFCM by giving customers the flexibility to pay their way
Author:
Candice Sergeant
Product Manager
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Candice Sergeant is a digital dynamo at Netcash, where she’s on a mission to help South African businesses level up their online game. As an eCommerce Product Owner, she’s got her finger on the pulse of the latest trends and technologies, constantly seeking out ways to boost sales and streamline operations. With a knack for spotting opportunities and a passion for innovation, Candice is your go-to guide for taking your e-commerce business to the next level.
