There was a time when ordering your groceries online probably felt a little unnecessary.
Why wait for someone to bring your shopping when you could just pop into the supermarket yourself?
That question is getting harder to answer.
Today, South Africans can order everything from bread and milk to cleaning products and fresh produce from their phones, with services such as Checkers Sixty60, Woolworths Dash, Pick n Pay asap!, Uber Eats and SPAR2U making grocery delivery part of everyday shopping.
And the numbers suggest we’re getting pretty comfortable with buying things online.
We’re Doing More of Our Shopping Online
South Africa’s online retail market has grown significantly in recent years. Research from World Wide Worx found that online retail grew by 35% in 2024 to R96 billion, accounting for around 8% of total retail sales. The research estimated that online retail would pass R130 billion in 2025, getting close to one in every ten rand spent in retail.
And grocery delivery is clearly becoming a bigger part of that shift too. A study by World Wide Worx, conducted with Mastercard and Peach Payments, found that Checkers Sixty60’s sales grew by 47% in the first half of 2025 to nearly R19 billion. Pick ‘n Pay’s on-demand and scheduled delivery services grew by more than 60%, while Woolworths’ Dash grocery delivery service grew by nearly 50%.
Grocery shopping is one of the areas helping to drive that growth.
It makes sense when you think about it.
You don’t necessarily need to go to a shop to buy the same things you buy every week. If the usual items are already on your shopping list, ordering them from your phone can be a lot easier than making another trip to the supermarket.
Sometimes, We Just Don’t Want to Go to the Shops
That’s probably the biggest appeal of grocery delivery.
It’s not always about being too busy. Sometimes it’s raining. Sometimes traffic is awful. Sometimes you’ve just finished a long day and the thought of finding parking and standing in a queue is enough to make you reconsider dinner altogether.
Online shopping gives people another option.
You can order a few essentials during a busy week, arrange a delivery when you don’t feel like making the trip, or even do your entire weekly shop from your phone.
And it doesn’t always have to be a big shop. Sometimes you just need a few things to get you through the week, and having them delivered can save you an unnecessary trip to the supermarket.
South Africans Are Still Watching the Price
Convenience is great, but we’re not going to stop checking the price just because someone else is doing the shopping for us.
Groceries are something we buy every week, so those little differences can add up. A cheaper product here, a special there, and suddenly the total at checkout looks quite different.
That’s especially true when money is a bit tight. PwC’s 2025 consumer research found that South Africans are becoming more careful about where they spend their money, while still looking for convenient ways to shop.
So, getting your groceries delivered is only part of the equation. Shoppers still want to know they’re getting a decent deal.
That’s why things like specials, loyalty rewards, delivery fees and everyday prices can matter just as much as how quickly the groceries arrive.
The Supermarket Isn’t Going Anywhere
For all the convenience of online shopping, there are still some things that are better done in person.
Maybe you want to choose your own avocados. Maybe you need something immediately. Or maybe you simply enjoy walking through the supermarket and spotting something you didn’t know you wanted.
Online grocery shopping doesn’t have to replace that.
You might do your big shop in-store, order a few essentials online during a busy week, or use a delivery service when you simply don’t feel like making the trip.
In reality, most of us aren’t choosing online or in-store. We’re choosing whichever is easier at the time.
Where Is Online Grocery Shopping Going?
Online grocery shopping is likely to become less about simply getting groceries delivered and more about making the whole process easier.
Better search, clearer stock information, smarter recommendations, easier payments and more accurate delivery updates can all take a little friction out of something we have to do every week.
AI could play a role too, particularly as retailers look for better ways to predict demand and help shoppers find what they need.
But the basics probably won’t change.
We want good prices, good products and as little hassle as possible.
Online grocery shopping isn’t replacing the supermarket. It’s simply giving South Africans another way to get the groceries home.
And judging by the growth of online retail, that’s an option more of us are willing to use.
