One South African has already spent R234 448 in a single online purchase, according to payment platform Payfast, while the smallest transaction of the day so far was valued at just R5.

Payfast is an online payment processing service for South African merchants.

As of 12:00, the service said the average basket size is sitting at R1 633.

David Adams, the chief commercial officer at Payfast, says they saw a spike in transactions between 07:00 and 09:00 as consumers raced to get their online orders in before the best deals were sold out.

“Despite battling to make ends meet during the month, many consumers have saved up for today, specifically to splurge on items they wouldn’t otherwise spend their money on.

“Those who approached the day with a plan and a strategic wish list are likely the same people who made their purchases first thing this morning, and have reaped the benefits of Black Friday,” explains Adams.