Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, and December follows straight after. For most shops, the stock for those weeks has to be ordered and paid for well before the first sale. The gap between paying a supplier and banking the sales is what festive funding is for.
The earlier you start, the more choice you have.
Reading this close to Black Friday, or after it? Funding takes time to arrange (see how long funding takes), so for this year, think about late December or January stock instead. For next year, Black Friday 2027 is Friday 26 November 2027. Start early.
What's usually happening
- Suppliers want paying upfront, or on short terms, for a bigger order than usual.
- You may need extra staff for the busy weeks, paid before the sales come in.
- The sales arrive over a few weeks. January may then be quieter.
Which funding tends to fit
| If your business... | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Takes most of its sales by card | Merchant cash advance (MCA) | Funding upfront, based mainly on your turnover. With the card-split version, a share of your card takings goes to the funder, so a quiet January means a smaller collection. |
| Has steady turnover but under R600,000 a year, or needs to pay more than one supplier | Working capital | General funding not tied to one invoice or order. Usually repaid in fixed instalments. |
| Has a confirmed festive order from a business customer | Purchase order funding | Pays the supplier to fill that order, settled when your customer pays. |
| Supplies shops that pay you on 30 or 60 days | Invoice discounting | Turns invoices you've already issued into cash before the shop pays. |
Card-split or fixed repayments?
This choice matters most when sales swing, as they do from December to January.
With a card-split advance, the funder takes a set share of your card takings until the agreed total is paid. The South African SME Finance Association's Code of Conduct (2018) describes this card-split version as a purchase of future card receivables, not a loan, with "no set period of payment". A slow January means a smaller collection. The total you repay doesn't change.
With a fixed repayment, the same amount comes off on set days, daily or weekly. That is easy to plan in December. It does not drop in a quiet January. A fixed-repayment advance is set out differently by each funder, and the agreement states its legal structure, so read it before you accept.
The January check
Before you sign, write down what goes out of the bank in January:
- Your EMP201 for December. SARS says: "You need to submit your EMP201 and the payment, if applicable, within 7 days after the end of each month, e.g. by the 7th of each month." If the 7th is a weekend or public holiday, it is due on the last business day before.
- Your VAT201, if your VAT period ends in December. SARS says manual returns and payment are due by the 25th, and eFiling returns and payment by the last business day, of the month after the period ends. So a December period falls due in late January, just as the quiet weeks bite.
- Your funding repayments.
- Supplier accounts for anything bought on terms.
If those don't fit January's likely takings, borrow less, or pick a structure that moves with your sales.
What we look for
We can help registered Pty Ltd companies and close corporations (CCs) that have traded for at least 12 months and need from R50,000. For a cash advance, we look for turnover of at least R600,000 a year. If you traded through last year's festive season, those months in your bank statements show what the season does for your business.
Next step
Check your fit. It takes about 2 to 3 minutes and needs no documents to start.
Sources
- sasfa.net: the MCA "is a purchase of future merchant receivables" and "not a loan
- sasfa.net: There is no set period of payment of the purchase price.", read 23 Oct 2026
- sars.gov.za: EMP201 by the 7th, and the weekend or public holiday rule
- sars.gov.za: and https://www.sars.gov.za/individuals/i-need-help-with-my-tax/calendar/ : VAT201 by the 25th or last business day