Black Friday’s missing shoppers: South Africa’s online retail boom leaves millions behind

South Africa's online retail market is expected to grow to R159 billion by 2026, but the majority of adults in the country have not yet embraced online shopping. According to the Online Retail in South Africa 2026 report, which was created by World Wide Worx in collaboration with Mastercard, Peach Payments, and Ask Afrika, online sales are projected to make up 10% of national retail turnover throughout the year.

However, consumer research which formed the basis of the report, based on 23,910 interviews conducted in 2025, shows that 79.1% of South African adults use the internet, but only 34.2% shop online. As retailers gear up for Black Friday, digital innovation agency and product consultancy Specno warns that businesses may be competing for the same customers while ignoring the obstacles preventing millions more from making their first purchase.

Joshua Harvey, the CEO of Specno, emphasizes that a growing online market can mask how many people are still outside of it, and that retailers should question whether they are making it easier for first-time online shoppers or simply offering more to those who already know how. Among the obstacles identified by the report are high delivery charges, minimum-order requirements, poor delivery outside major urban areas, payment concerns, high data costs and limited support for local languages.

To make online shopping more accessible, Harvey suggests that retailers check delivery availability early, display charges before checkout, explain payment steps in simple language and make help readily available. Additionally, guest checkout can help by eliminating the need for customers to create an account before purchasing. Specno also recommends retailers test their Black Friday journeys on basic devices, such as entry-level smartphones, to ensure smooth performance even with slow internet or dropped connections.

They should also preserve basket contents when connectivity drops and provide a reliable way for customers to check their order status before attempting payment again. Furthermore, retailers should consider where customers abandon the shopping journey across different devices and connection conditions, and investigate those reasons with users.

The report also challenges the notion that retailers should prioritize apps for online sales, as browsers were more frequently used for purchases in 42 out of the 48 categories examined. Instead, retailers should focus on the frequency and nature of their customers' needs, offering fast mobile websites for occasional shoppers and more convenient apps for regular buyers.

Finally, Harvey stresses that a successful Black Friday experience should extend beyond the initial sale. Retailers must ensure accurate delivery promises, useful tracking, accessible support, and understandable returns processes to turn first-time buyers into loyal customers.