The end of November has been traditionally established in the United States, as the best time of the year to shop the most-wanted items on customers’ shopping lists and with good reason; Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer some of the best discounts and everyone can enjoy the best deals on a wide assortment of products. The last few years those two days have also started gaining more recognition in South Africa. Officially, the first Black Friday was celebrated in 2014.

But do we really know the difference between the most popular shopping holidays of the year and is one actually better than the other? For some the choice between the two days may seem as simple as the choice between whether you like shopping in-store or online. Keep reading to decide yourself which day is the best match for your shopping preferences and needs.

Cyber Monday is quite understandably considered Black Friday’s youngest sibling. The term “Black Friday” was initially used in 1869, while Cyber Monday has been around for only 13 years with people using the phrase in America in 2005 for the first time. The term was coined by the National Retail Federation to encourage shoppers to buy online since back then eshopping was not as well-received as it is nowadays.

Undoubtedly, Black Friday sales and promos are more widespread among retailers in South Africa. Some well-known stores like Spree celebrate both days and you can find some amazing Cyber Monday and Black Friday vouchers and Spree coupons on coupon websites like Black Friday Global. However, that is not the rule for all retailers. Cyber Monday offers are only available online which means that you shouldn’t expect any brick-and-mortar businesses having special discounts on the day.

In general, more businesses and online shops participate in Black Friday Sale events and many prepare for this time of the year since the summertime. Even though both days are welcomed in South Africa, Black Friday is far more well-established and ingrained in the mind of the customers. This means that customers are more inclined to shop on Black Friday rather than wait until Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday may have similar discounts to the ones offered on Black Friday however those are much more short-lived. Many stores in South Africa, like Zando for example, start their “Black Friday season” a few days in advance with a significant number of online stores continuing all the way through the weekend. On the other hand, Cyber Monday is very much limited to the 24 hours of the following Monday. Many stores share flash sales or lighting deals that can be up for grabs only for a few hours; this means that if you indeed decide to shop on Cyber Monday, you must stay glued to your phone or laptop screen as the best deals can disappear before you blink.