South Africa, Nov. 19 -- It's not competition; it's fear, fear of missing out, of flat numbers and a fear of silence.

Every year we see the same thing. Brands adopt the same colour palette, the same headlines, the same urgency cues, and we justify it by calling it competition.

We see this pattern play out annually across the industry. For me, this isn't just a creative issue, it's a strategic one.

It isn't indulgence, it's ingenuity

While brands fight to out-shout one another, South Africans are behaving very differently.

"Real people aren't panic-buying TV sets. They're collaborating.

Families and friends are in WhatsApp groups comparing prices, checking grocery deals, and splitting deliveries. Black Friday here isn't indulgence, i...