Marketing & Selling

As South Africa approaches the holiday period, most industries begin to wind down. Retail, however, does the opposite. While other sectors move toward closure and rest, retail accelerates. Stores extend hours. Customer volume rises sharply. The strain begins early. The human cost of peak season becomes visible long before December arrives.

Over the past decade, society has started switching to glass bottles to avoid microplastics. As it turns out, that big sustainable swap comes with 50 times the microplastic payload. According to recent research by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (France's ANSES), the war between glass bottles and plastic ones is a red herring.

Most South Africans already run their businesses on WhatsApp. A hair salon takes bookings through voice notes. A courier firm shares delivery updates using photo messages. A restaurant sends out its weekly menu via broadcast. What began as an informal backchannel for orders and service has now become the country’s most entrenched digital business tool. In fact, for many, WhatsApp serves as the foundation of their daily business operations.

As South Africans gear up for the Black Friday rush, the excitement of “unmissable” deals intensifies. The promise of saving big often hides a deeper truth. Most shoppers end up spending more, not less. This reality reflects the hidden cost of bargain-hunting, which often slips past unnoticed. The thrill of discount shopping can quietly erode long-term wealth.

As the world prepares for another Black Friday on 28 November, South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have a golden opportunity. They can stand out from big brands by offering value-driven, authentic alternatives. SMEs should prioritise visibility over discounts during this period to connect with their communities and build brand awareness.

Black Friday has become a make-or-break moment in retail. With online sales climbing by over 30% during the four-day window from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, when there are already over 1 billion e-commerce transactions annually in SA, this single weekend represents the biggest revenue spike of the year for most retailers.

The recent Checkers "Simple Truth" campaign, featuring British chef Jamie Oliver, Springbok rugby stars Pieter-Steph du Toit and Trevor Nyakane, and former Carte Blanche anchor Devi Sankaree Govender, has sparked discussion. The debate extends beyond marketing to governance.

Despite the digital revolution, customers still crave something profoundly human: empathy, understanding, and connection. As AI becomes more embedded in customer service, the challenge is not just technological – it’s emotional.

Not long ago, watching television was a shared ritual. Families gathered around the same screen, tuning in to the daily soaps or the Sunday night 8 pm movie. Today, the experience has become deeply personal. Each viewer chooses what to watch, when to watch and even which ads they see. For marketers, this shift is not just a technology change; it is a change in attention. And attention is the currency that drives modern advertising.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, but understanding is scarce. The challenge lies in a lack of context, capacity and people who know how to use AI not just to create content, but to create impact. This is central to supporting Africa’s creative boom.