Black Friday: Mixed feelings about deals, discounts

While some people say they're excited to take advantage of the deals - others aren't convinced about the specials on offer.

Stores, malls, and companies online have launched campaigns across the country.

The retail frenzy, which traditionally marks the start of the festive shopping season after Thanksgiving in the US, has taken off in South Africa in recent years.

According to the latest survey from Debt Rescue, 83% of consumers said they'll be stretching their budgets to accommodate Black Friday deals.

It found, however, that cash-strapped shoppers plan to spend less on household items like food, toiletries, clothing, and electronics, compared to last year.

Newswatch spoke to some Durbanites about their thoughts.

"On Black Friday, we do online shopping mostly, that is where we look. We tend to just scan all the sites online and if something catches our eye, we buy it," said one consumer.

"If you look at it, the specials are not even special because they are saying 40 or 50 percent off but the mark up on the original price has gone up. You end up spending so much for Christmas and December," said another.

"It's the one time, everything is a reasonable price. It's just about seizing the opportunity," said a shopper.