#BlackOutFriday: Our Digital Campaign for Real-World Change

As the call for a national shutdown on September 24th, 2025, grows louder, we are faced with a crucial question: how can every South African, especially those of us active in the digital world, join this movement for change? For those who cannot be on the streets but whose hearts beat for a better South Africa, how do we show our solidarity?

Our answer is #BlackOurFriday, a powerful two-week digital campaign led by #ReclaimSA.

This is not a call to simply boycott shopping. It is our strategic, visible, and unified statement. It is a demonstration that our solidarity is not just in protest against the current system, but in our active pursuit of a new one—a nation built on positive, systemic change that centres people, not profit.

Who We Are: This is #ReclaimSA

To understand this campaign, you need to understand us. We are #ReclaimSA. We are not a traditional political party or a single leader. We are a digital-native, citizen-driven platform built for a new era of activism. Our core mission is to empower South Africans like us to organise, action, promote, and track national protests and movements.

For the #EconomicExclusionProtest on September 24th, our role is to provide the foundation. We build the digital infrastructure—the maps, the communication channels, the verified information hubs—that allow our diverse groups and individuals to coordinate under a shared goal. We are the architects of a decentralised yet united front, ensuring our collective energy is focused and our message is clear.

Using Protests and Digital Tools to Drive Positive Systemic Change

The protests we are helping to coordinate are a monumental demonstration of our core belief: positive systemic change is possible.

Our nation has a rich history of peaceful and successful protests that have shaped our democracy. We remember the defiance campaigns of the apartheid era. We learned from the #FeesMustFall movement, which fundamentally altered the discourse on education access. We were galvanised by the #TotalShutdown marches against gender-based violence, which pressured government into action. We have seen the power of our collective voice.

We have learned from these movements. We’ve taken notes on what works and what doesn’t. Our key lesson? In the 21st century, our most powerful ally is technology. Digital tools allow us to organise with the agility and unity we have never possessed before.

We are using technology to:

• Coordinate our actions safely and efficiently.
• Share verified, real-time information to counter misinformation and keep our nation informed.
• Ensure our actions are strategic and impactful, embedding the lessons of past protests into our very foundation.

This isn’t just a protest; it’s our smarter, more connected movement.

How You Can Join Us in #BlackOutFriday

This is where you come in. For two weeks, we are calling on every digitally active citizen to stand with us.

From Friday, September 19th, to Friday, October 3rd, we are asking you to BLACK OUT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES.

This is how we do it, together:

1. Post A #BlackedOut Image: Use a solid black image or our official #BlackOutFriday graphic shared on social media.
2. Use Our Hashtags: #BlackOutFriday and #ReclaimSA in your posts. Explain to your network why you are participating. You can add a voice recording of why you’re participating or your favourite sound from socials.
3. Amplify Our Message: Share content from our official #ReclaimSA channels. Help us spread verified information about our movement and its goals.
4. Engage Thoughtfully: This is our campaign of conscious silence and visible solidarity. Use your platform to discuss our shared need for systemic change that prioritises human dignity over corporate profit.

This digital blackout is our collective pause—a refusal to participate in business as usual while our nation demands a reset. It is a visual river of our solidarity flowing through the digital landscape, showing the world the strength of our numbers and the clarity of our purpose.

We will be actively monitoring our campaign and will provide public reports on its reach and impact, measuring our digital footprint for change.

This is our moment to show that solidarity is not confined to physical spaces. Let’s use our digital presence to fuel our real-world revolution. Join us. Black out your Friday. Let’s reclaim our future, together.

#BlackOutFriday | #ReclaimSA | #EconomicExclusionProtest