New US tariffs killed the Black Friday peak small South African exporters would normally expect in November, according to data from the SME Export Index.
Craig Lowman, CEO and co-founder of South African international shipping platform TUNL, says: “In a normal year, Black Friday is a clear peak. The US-bound gross monthly volume (GMV) of shipments for Black Friday 2024 was around 60% above average monthly shipments.
“This year, after the new US tariffs and the loss of the $800 de minimis threshold, Black Friday came in 46% below the monthly average, and down 66% year-on-year.”
He describes the impact as “catastrophic” because, instead of a strong seasonal peak, South African businesses that rely on US sales have lost a key contribution to their annual turnover.
“While most of South Africa’s businesses experienced a knockout domestic Black Friday, the period was not successful for South African brands that ship to the US,” says Aretha Cooper, chief operating officer of TUNL.
“This is directly due to tariffs, which impact small businesses disproportionately. They simply do not have the finances to reduce the tariff impact on their US customers, and have to pass the costs along to consumers.”
Traditionally, October, November and December are peak months for small exporters as Americans shop for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the festive season. This year, gifts from South Africa seem not to be on US shoppers’ radars, as they come to terms with what it will cost them to import even small parcels from South Africa.
“The US tariff changes remain in place and the Supreme Court of Appeals is yet to make a finding on their legality,” Cooper concludes. “In the meantime, their impact on South African SMEs is clear: businesses that export to the US are in for a tough festive season and an even tougher 2026.”