Best Online Grocery Platforms Compared South Africa

South Africa’s on-demand grocery delivery market has matured into a genuine multi-platform contest — with Checkers Sixty60, Pick n Pay asap!, Woolworths Dash, Spar2U, OneCart, Makro Online, and Mr D Groceries all competing for your weekly shop. This guide breaks down each platform: delivery fees, minimum orders, catalogue size, coverage, loyalty benefits, and who each service suits best.

Platform Comparison at a Glance

1. Checkers Sixty60 — Market Leader

Sixty60 is South Africa’s dominant on-demand grocery delivery service by a significant margin — industry estimates put its market share at around 70–80% of the on-demand grocery segment. It launched in November 2019 and set the R35 delivery fee that competitors matched at launch. Checkers surpassed five million app downloads and in the 2025 financial year generated R18.9 billion in Sixty60 sales — roughly 40% the size of all of Woolworths Food. The service operates from 601-plus Checkers, Checkers Hyper, and Checkers Liquorshop locations, with a fulfilment network of dedicated dark stores enabling the 60-minute promise.

The platform uses AI-driven demand prediction and real-time route optimisation to maintain delivery times. In-app prices mirror in-store prices — Checkers’ “Low Prices You Can Trust” commitment applies online. The catalogue runs to over 23,000 grocery and liquor products, with 10,000+ general merchandise items at Hyper-enabled stores. For students and budget shoppers, Sixty60 consistently comes in as the cheapest platform in basket comparisons across shared SKUs. Shoppers who value speed alongside affordability will find nothing better in the SA market.

2. Pick n Pay asap! — The Closest Rival

Pick n Pay asap! is the most direct competitor to Sixty60, and has been investing heavily in technology and coverage to close the gap. The service underwent a complete platform rebuild in 2025, relaunching as the “Pick n Pay Asap and Smart Shopper” app — integrating the asap! delivery function with the Smart Shopper loyalty programme. Online retail sales for the 53 weeks to March 2025 grew 48.7% year-on-year, with on-demand growing at 60%. The service now covers over 44,000 products across 620-plus stores, supported by more than 2,500 drivers. In basket comparisons, Pick n Pay products — whether through asap! directly or via Mr D Groceries — frequently come in as cheapest on a per-product basis.

The Smart Shopper loyalty programme integration is asap!’s key differentiator. Points accumulate on every delivery and can be redeemed across all Pick n Pay channels. The new app introduced AI-driven search that adapts to individual shopping behaviour, pre-authorisation payments (charged only for delivered items), multi-card support, and real-time order tracking. If you already shop at Pick n Pay regularly for your Smart Shopper points, asap! is the natural first choice — much like choosing the right smartphone on a tight budget often comes down to which ecosystem you’re already invested in.

3. Woolworths Dash — Premium-First Delivery

Woolworths Dash is the premium end of the SA grocery delivery market. The service launched in December 2020 and has grown to contribute 6.6% of Woolworths’ total South African food sales — approximately R3.5 billion annually. Dash grew 28.5% in the year to June 2023 and continues to expand. In November 2025, Woolworths raised its delivery fee from R35 to R45 — a 29% increase — citing rising operational costs and investment in service quality. It is the only major platform to have raised its fee above the R35 level that Checkers set at launch.

Woolworths is consistently the most expensive platform in basket comparisons, driven primarily by its preference for WW-branded house products over comparable commodity alternatives. For shoppers who want Woolworths’ premium produce, ready-made meals, and quality guarantee, Dash is worth it. For price-first grocery buyers, Sixty60 or Pick n Pay asap! will deliver more value. Dash has been confirmed as profitable on a fully-costed basis. Much like picking a phone that balances quality and value — with Dash, you’re paying a premium for a curated experience that consistently delivers on quality.

4. Spar2U — The Budget Fresh Produce Option

Spar2U was the last of the four major retailers to launch an on-demand delivery service, and remains the smallest of the four by coverage and catalogue depth. It uses electric scooters via contracted logistics rather than motorcycles, and operates on a minimum order of R100 with an R35 delivery fee. In the BusinessTech basket comparison, Spar2U was the cheapest across the 10-item food basket — the only retailer to come in under R400 for that segment — making it a genuine option for fresh produce and staples. Coverage is more limited than its rivals, concentrated in urban nodes across major metros.

Spar2U also expanded into township delivery in 2024, partnering with KasiD in Tembisa and Delivery Ka Speed in Mamelodi and Hamanskraal — a meaningful push into communities underserved by on-demand platforms. The in-app experience lags behind Sixty60 and asap! in terms of polish, but the underlying grocery pricing is competitive. For shoppers in Spar2U-covered areas with a strong focus on fresh produce and food items, it is worth checking alongside Sixty60 before committing. Much like hunting for the best value electronics setup, the savings add up when you compare before buying.

5. Mr D Groceries — Pick n Pay via Takealot

Mr D is Takealot Group’s delivery platform, and since its grocery partnership with Pick n Pay — launched in October 2022 — it mirrors Pick n Pay’s in-store pricing exactly. Price comparisons confirm that Mr D and Pick n Pay asap! return identical prices for the same products, as both use live in-store price feeds from Pick n Pay. Mr D’s advantage is its existing user base among Takealot shoppers who already use the app for food delivery. The platform also allows Pick n Pay Smart Shopper points to accumulate. For users who already have Mr D installed and prefer not to switch apps, grocery ordering within the same interface is a genuine convenience. Coverage is available where Pick n Pay and Mr D’s logistics overlap across major metros.

6. OneCart — Multi-Store in a Single Order

OneCart is structurally different from all the store-branded platforms above. It is a multi-retailer aggregator: one cart, one delivery, one R35 fee — from a selection of stores including Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Makro, Dis-Chem, Checkers, and more. The platform claims over 100,000 products and delivers at in-store prices. For shoppers who need items from multiple retailers in a single delivery, OneCart eliminates the need to place separate orders and pay separate delivery fees.

The service delivers within 60 minutes or allows scheduled deliveries at a chosen date and time — a flexibility the four major-retailer platforms don’t all offer. OneCart makes most sense for shoppers managing groceries across Woolworths and Dis-Chem in the same shop, or those who want Makro’s bulk pricing alongside Checkers’ fresh produce in one order. Just as comparing Android smartphones across price bands saves you from overpaying for a single brand, OneCart saves you from paying multiple delivery fees on a split basket.

7. Makro Online — Best for Bulk Buying

Makro’s online grocery store sits in a different category to the 60-minute delivery platforms above. It is designed for bulk purchasing, pantry stocking, and cost-per-unit savings — not speed. Free delivery applies on orders over R500. For orders below that threshold, a delivery fee applies. Click-and-collect (Next Day Pickup) is also available, which is useful for shoppers near a Makro store who prefer to plan ahead rather than pay a delivery fee. Makro’s house brand grocery pricing on staples is among the cheapest in SA retail — the Outlier has identified Makro as the cheapest SA retailer on grocery baskets when comparing per-unit pricing across comparable products.

Fresh produce was not fully available across all catalogue comparisons in prior reviews, but for ambient grocery, cleaning products, beverages, and pantry items in bulk, Makro Online is unmatched on value. Students stocking up for the term, households doing a monthly shop, and cost-conscious families will save meaningfully here versus picking up the same volumes from 60-minute apps. Browsing Makro is a similar mindset to researching gadgets under R200 in SA — the savings only appear when you take the time to look.

Sample Basket Comparison — Common Grocery Items

Basket comparisons in prior published research found the following approximate rankings across the major on-demand platforms. Prices are indicative and vary by location, promotion, and product size. Always confirm current prices in each app before ordering.

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