Black Friday Is Wack Friday: Why We Choose a Sustainable Black Friday

Is Black Friday worth it? In my opinion, for most of us, most of the time, no. Black Friday 2026 lands in South Africa on Friday 27 November, and here at AYA we won't be running a sale. Here's why, and how to shop a sustainable Black Friday if you do decide to shop.

I'll be honest: I have been caught up in Black Friday more times than I can remember. But I am fortunate to be a well-confirmed introvert who can't deal with crowds on a good day, so these days Black Friday just makes me want to hide. Every year, as the inboxes fill up and the countdown banners start flashing, I start running into my little hole. 

The reality is that my personal aim is to finish December with money saved and hopefully less waste heading to landfill. The aim for AYA Natural Skin is to step away from it completely and carry on as usual, spreading love and happy skin wherever we go.

Do Ethical Brands Participate in Black Friday?

Some do, and some very deliberately don't. AYA has never run a Black Friday sale, and it isn't because we haven't been asked. I don't think Black Friday is about whether a company or business is ethical. For me, each company's ethos and how it approaches the dilemmas facing this planet is a year-round, forever commitment, not just one day a year.

In 2016, Patagonia, a company you can only admire, donated 100% of its global Black Friday store and website sales, totalling US$10 million, directly to grassroots environmental organisations rather than offering customers discounts. So there is always a better way if we want there to be.

Why do some ethical brands opt out of Black Friday?

For me, it comes down to this: we make a quality product and work hard to keep it affordable, so people can afford beautiful skincare all year round. If I can suddenly knock a huge percentage off for one day, how do I justify my prices for the other 364? As a small business, I simply can't sustain that kind of discount, and I don't believe I should have to.

We're not alone. Patagonia's 2016 donation wasn't a one-off either: back in 2011, it ran a Black Friday advert that said: "Don't Buy This Jacket". And in 2015, REI, an American outdoor co-op, began closing all its stores on Black Friday and paying its staff to spend the day outside instead. So everyone who chooses to try and do better finds their own way of doing it.

Just to be clear, that's not to say we never discount. If I'm introducing a new product to the range, or stock is moving slower (October has been my quietest month since AYA began), I might run an offer. The difference is that it's never so huge that it makes or breaks the bank, and when I do, it's because it makes sense, not because the calendar says so.

Are Black Friday Deals Actually Real Discounts?

I don't think I can answer this question for every industry, simply because I don't know enough. What I do know is that there is a lot of hype around this time, and the general consensus is that no, they aren't. The UK consumer organisation Which? has tracked Black Friday "deals" for years, and its research keeps finding that nine in ten of them are the same price or cheaper at other times of the year.

How do retailers manipulate Black Friday prices?

One way I have been made aware of is that prices can be nudged up in the weeks before, so the "discount" looks bigger than it is. And a lot of what goes on sale is last year's stock. It's not just hearsay either: Which? has found plenty of Black Friday "deals" that were actually cheaper in the months before.

When customers have asked me for a Black Friday deal, I've tried to explain why the practice never makes sense to me. Think of Apple products: on Black Friday, it's often the older, supposedly inferior models that get discounted, making room for the newer, more expensive ones.

Are Black Friday sales the best prices of the year?

Not necessarily, and here's the thing: our formulas don't change. There's no "old model" to clear. What we make today is exactly what people use and love now, so there's nothing to mark down and nothing to make room for.

Is It Ever Fair for a Small Business to Run a Black Friday Sale?

Absolutely. Plenty of small South African businesses take a risk, buy stock that was working until it wasn't, and need the cash flow. To them I say good luck, and I hope it works well for you. And to everyone who chooses to shop: that's the benefit of living in a democracy with freedom. We all make our own choices, and judgement gets us nowhere. Opinions are like… well, everybody's got one. This is just mine.

Is Black Friday Worth It Anymore?

For me, it isn't, and not just because of the price tags. Recycling matters, but not creating waste in the first place matters more. The real game changer happens at the till, or the "add to cart" button: the moment you decide whether you really need it.

Less really is more. Buying less brings more savings, more time, more space and less pressure on the environment. It's not about pushing a political ideology; it's that access to excess is at its peak, and that drives resource use and waste.

None of us can stop buying altogether, but we can buy less and choose better. And every day we get the chance to make a choice, and hopefully it's the best choice we can make for ourselves and our beautiful planet.

Why buy less?

• Less pollution: less consumption results in less creation.
• Less anxiety: no buyer's remorse, no "did I really need that?"
• Less clutter: fewer things to store, clean and eventually throw away.
• More money: the simplest saving is the thing you didn't buy.

What Is Green Friday (and Buy Nothing Day)?

Green Friday is the growing alternative to Black Friday: instead of chasing discounts, you spend the day (or your money) in ways that are kinder to the planet, from supporting local makers to simply not shopping at all.

Is Green Friday an alternative to Black Friday?

Yes, and you can make it whatever suits you: a walk instead of a mall, a repair instead of a replacement, or buying one well-made thing from a small local business instead of a trolley of "deals". If shopping local is your thing, I wrote about why local is lekker. 

Who started Buy Nothing Day?

Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver in 1992 and was taken up by the magazine Adbusters. It's now held around Black Friday each year, and the idea is beautifully simple: for one day, buy nothing at all.

How Do I Avoid Getting Overwhelmed by Black Friday Skincare Sales?

Black Friday skincare sales are designed to make you stock up on things you don't need. My honest answer: only buy what you already use and actually finish. Before you click "add to cart", get in touch with what your skin actually needs, and ask yourself whether you're buying to fix a problem or to live your values.

But how? A few things that help:

• Buy quality items that last.
• Repair before you replace.
• Shop local.
• Check second-hand first.
• Avoid trends.
• Make basics yourself, like household cleaners and toothpaste. I have tried a few, not bad at all.
• Look past the packaging and the marketing, and check what you're really paying for.

One Tin, Many Jobs

We keep our range small and designed for multiple uses, so you don't need the full range. One 15g tin of AYA Balm, made with raw fermented pawpaw (also known as papaya, one and the same), costs R65 and lasts six months to a year, depending on how often you use it. That works out to roughly R5 to R11 a month. It keeps for two years, opened or unopened; you only need a rice-grain amount, and it covers dry lips, rough hands, cracked heels, cuticles, chafing and dry patches. We love nothing more than seeing a tin used right down to the last scrape.

We do innovate, but we’ll always promote one good product for several skincare needs over a basket of single-use ones. And if you’re buying a gift this season, here’s what my grandmother taught me about healthy skin habits.

So this Black Friday, whether you shop or sit it out, we hope you choose what feels right for you. And if you’re hiding in your own little hole like me, enjoy the quiet.