WESTERN CAPE NEWS - Black Friday has recently been brought into South Africa without taking into consideration the conditions in our country, in particular, the daunting task of nation-building which has been a slow and challenging process.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, has special significance to Americans and is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November each year.
It is associated with discounts and is firmly embedded in the American psyche and way of life.
Fostering national unity remains a big challenge for the country and is amongst many other challenges that the country is faced with.
Would it not have been better for South African retailers to come up with a new concept for the day that will replace Black Friday and that is anchored to something that is meaningful and positive for the country and the people of South Africa?
The creation of South Africa day offers South African retailers an opportunity to re-engineer Black Friday.
South Africa day is a nation- and community building initiative that seeks to inspire South Africans to attain greatness, underpinned by optimism about the country and its future, national unity, national pride, enhancing the image of South Africa, and the building of a South African identity that the people of South Africa can embrace with great honour, pride and dignity.
It is also a day to make a difference in communities where people live and in the country as a whole. South Africa day, a non-public holiday, will be celebrated annually on the last Saturday of November.
The month of November was chosen because of its significance to the country.
It was in November 1993 that the Interim Constitution of the country was signed by 26 political parties.
As a day that is community-based and supported by the business sector, it would be more fitting and appropriate for SA retailers to align Black Friday with South Africa day.
This means rebranding Black Friday to South Africa Friday, which will be followed by South Africa day.
Initial indications from a number of retailers that have been approached in this regard are warm to the idea of a South Africa Friday instead of Black Friday.
The risk of not giving Black Friday another name is a serious one for South African retailers.
Black Friday, especially a 'Black' day, is usually associated with something that is not really very desirable.
The continuing use of Black Friday is something that would be difficult for the South African retail sector to defend.
Not so long-ago, Friday 7 April, was dubbed Black Friday, by marchers across the country that were protesting against the firing of finance minister Pravin Gordhan by President Jacob Zuma.
This concept of Black Friday has a political connotation and is associated with an intense, acrimonious power struggle.
The concept of a 'Black' day is also associated with a calamitous drop in the stock market.
The 'Great Depression' was ushered in by the 'Wall Street Crash'. This was an event that became known as Black Tuesday but there have been other stock market crashes, which are referred to as 'Black' days.
In South Africa, there are also sensitivities surrounding the use of the term 'Black' to refer to negative issues such as blackmail and blacklist.
In South Africa, the term 'black' also has the unfortunate 'echo' (think 'Apartheid' years) of something that is not up to standard.
The negative connotations associated with Black Friday are stronger in South Africa than the positive associations. The renaming of Black Friday as South Africa Friday will move away from the negative connotations.
The shift by South African retailers from an American Black Friday to a South Africa Friday enables South Africans to anchor the day with unique positive associations related to nation-building which is embodied in South Africa day.
In this way, South Africans can start afresh and create a day which is relevant and rooted in our traditions, identities and aspirations.
Article supplied by the South Africa Day Organisation.
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