Online grocery shopping in South Africa is no longer a convenience niche — it is a mainstream habit. Between Checkers Sixty60, Pick n Pay asap!, Woolies Dash, SPAR2U, and Makro Online, South Africans can now order almost everything in a standard grocery basket and have it delivered in under an hour. The sector has grown explosively since 2022, with Sixty60’s sales alone growing 47.7% in Shoprite’s 2025 financial year and Pick n Pay’s on-demand turnover surging 40% year-on-year into 2026. This guide covers the best online grocery stores in South Africa, how they compare on price, delivery speed, product range, loyalty rewards, and availability — so you can pick the right platform for your household.
Why Online Grocery Shopping Has Exploded in South Africa
South Africa’s online grocery sector has shifted from pandemic-era experiment to structural habit. The triggers are well-established: urban professionals with limited time, a middle class increasingly comfortable with app-based transactions, and the load-shedding era that prompted many households to reconsider how much time they spent driving to shops. But in 2025–2026, the acceleration has come from something more structural — all four major JSE-listed food retailers now operate profitable, large-scale on-demand delivery businesses, each investing hundreds of millions of rands in logistics infrastructure to capture what they call “the next frontier of food retail.”
Checkers Sixty60 is currently the market leader, available in 694 locations including five dark stores, giving one-hour delivery access to more than 80% of South Africa’s addressable online grocery market. Pick n Pay’s asap! service operates in over 400 stores and employs more than 2,500 drivers. Woolies Dash covers 130 sites with one dark store and 90% of the Woolworths customer base. SPAR2U has expanded across 525 stores. Each platform has reported growth rates above 40% year-on-year, and the competition between them has, for shoppers, produced better delivery windows, lower fees, and more promotional offers than at any point since online grocery ordering began in South Africa.
The comparison below covers what each platform actually delivers — not just what their marketing promises. This is also a category where South Africa’s online shopping habits overlap with the broader consumer shift toward app-based convenience that has driven the growth of platforms covered in the guide to the best budget tech and gadgets — smartphones and data connectivity are the infrastructure that makes grocery delivery possible, and upgrading your device often means getting better access to these apps’ features.
Checkers Sixty60: The Market Leader
Checkers Sixty60
Checkers Sixty60 holds approximately 75% of South Africa’s on-demand online grocery market share — a dominant position built on the broadest geographic coverage, the most consistently cheap delivery fees, and the integration of Shoprite’s Xtra Savings loyalty programme. Checkers has put out marketing claiming it is cheaper to order through Sixty60 than to drive to the store — calculating that a return car trip of 7.5km costs more than their R35 delivery fee. Whether or not that maths holds for every household, the delivery fee is genuinely among the lowest in the market.
Product range covers Checkers and Shoprite house brands, the full national brand range, alcohol, fresh produce, deli items, and health products. Sixty60 also integrates Checkers’ Little Me baby range and Checkers FreshMark butchery. The app is well-reviewed for reliability and the ordering interface is considered one of the simplest and fastest in the category.
✅ Strengths
Widest coverage nationally, lowest delivery fees, Xtra Savings integration, strong promotional pricing on house brands
⚠️ Limitations
Grocery-only (no fashion or home goods), minimum order thresholds apply in some locations
Pick n Pay asap!: The Fastest-Growing Challenger
Pick n Pay asap!
Pick n Pay’s asap! app underwent a complete technology overhaul in April 2025, and the results have been striking: Pick n Pay reported 40% year-on-year growth in on-demand turnover and 131% growth in first-time buyers since the app relaunch. With over 44,000 listed items — the widest single-app product range of any SA grocery delivery service — it now challenges Sixty60 directly in the metro markets where it has the strongest store density.
What gives asap! a loyalty edge is its integration with Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper programme and, from 2026 onwards, FNB eBucks spending functionality. For FNB account holders, this means earning and spending eBucks on groceries with the same convenience they already use for fuel and banking rewards. Pick n Pay also participates in FNB’s eBucks PayDay promotion on the 15th of every month, offering free delivery and special asap! deals — a tangible financial benefit for FNB users that none of the competitors currently match directly.
asap! is also available through the Mr D app (Takealot-owned), which means PnP groceries can be ordered through the same platform many South Africans already use for food delivery — eliminating the need for a separate app. A MyBroadband test of the Mr D–PnP partnership found delivery from order to door in 20 minutes in metro conditions.
✅ Strengths
44,000+ items, FNB eBucks integration, Smart Shopper loyalty, Mr D dual-platform access, profitable on a fully-costed basis
⚠️ Limitations
Slightly pricier on house-brand items versus Sixty60; coverage still building outside major metros
Woolworths Woolies Dash: Premium Grocery Delivery
Woolworths Woolies Dash
Woolies Dash is the premium tier of South Africa’s online grocery market — and it makes no apologies for that positioning. Woolworths is the first South African retailer to offer an omnichannel solution combining groceries, fashion, beauty, and home goods through a single delivery platform, and is also the only retailer to maintain cold chain integrity for both regular deliveries and its on-demand Dash service. For shoppers who prioritise fresh produce quality, premium own-label food products, and the convenience of ordering across multiple product categories in one checkout, Dash is in a class of its own.
Price comparisons consistently show Woolies Dash as the most expensive online grocery option — primarily because Woolworths often sells its own premium brand without lower-cost alternatives. A standard basket of nine staples costs approximately R50–R90 more on Woolies Dash versus Checkers Sixty60. For buyers who shop at Woolworths by preference — quality of produce, range of prepared foods, and brand alignment — that premium is expected and accepted. For pure price-conscious shopping, Sixty60 remains cheaper.
✅ Strengths
Only platform with cold chain guarantee, fashion + grocery on one order, premium product quality, ideal for high-end groceries
⚠️ Limitations
Most expensive basket in SA; 130-site coverage is smaller than Sixty60 or asap!; no lower-cost own-label alternatives for most items
SPAR2U: The Local Community Option
SPAR2U
SPAR2U has grown its delivery volumes by 380% year-on-year in its most recent results period — the most dramatic growth rate of any South African online grocery service, though from a smaller base than Sixty60 or asap!. The service operates across 525 stores and continues expanding. Because SPAR is a franchise business, product prices and promotional availability vary from store to store — which means SPAR2U’s competitiveness depends largely on your local SPAR franchise’s pricing.
SPAR2U is best suited to shoppers in areas where the other three services have limited store coverage, or where your local SPAR is conveniently positioned and consistently prices competitively. In suburban areas where SPAR dominates the walkable grocery market, SPAR2U offers a natural convenience extension. Price comparison tests have generally placed SPAR between Checkers and Pick n Pay on a standard basket.
✅ Strengths
Strong in suburban and smaller urban areas; fastest growth trajectory; familiar local store relationships
⚠️ Limitations
Franchised pricing means value varies by location; profitability not yet confirmed; no centrally-run loyalty programme
Makro Online and Bulk Groceries: The Cheapest Overall Basket
According to BusinessTech’s August 2025 grocery basket comparison, Makro offered the cheapest basket of nine staple food items at R352.55 — R89 cheaper than Woolworths and R75 cheaper than Pick n Pay for the same basket. Makro’s house brand pricing on staples like cooking oil, long-life milk, canned goods, and toilet paper consistently undercuts every other South African retailer. For households buying in bulk — whether for a large family or a shared student household — Makro Online’s value is unmatched.
The trade-off is delivery model. Makro Online offers scheduled home delivery (typically next-day or within 2–3 days) rather than on-demand 60-minute delivery. It is not suited to last-minute grocery runs, but for the weekly or fortnightly big shop where price matters more than speed, no platform in South Africa competes with Makro on total basket value. The Click-and-Collect option at Makro branches also offers same-day availability on most stock items.
For a broader picture of how Makro positions against competing platforms across different product categories — not just groceries — the Temu vs Makro South Africa comparison covers how the two platforms stack up on price, delivery, and product range in head-to-head categories. And for shoppers who want to understand how Makro’s broader electronics and general merchandise offering compares to Game Stores, the Temu vs Game Stores comparison provides useful context on pricing dynamics at South Africa’s major general merchandise retailers.
Online Grocery Price Comparison: Who Is Cheapest?
Price comparisons of the same basket of staple grocery items across SA’s major online platforms tell a consistent story in 2025–2026:
| Retailer / Platform | Basket Cost (9 staples) | Delivery Fee | Delivery Speed | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makro Online | ~R352 (cheapest) | R0–R99 | Next day / 2–3 days | Budget |
| Shoprite Online | ~R416 | R35 | 60 minutes | Value |
| Checkers Sixty60 | ~R417 (on-demand best) | R35–R49 | 60 minutes | Value–Mid |
| SPAR2U | ~R410 (varies by franchise) | R35–R50 | 60 minutes | Mid |
| Pick n Pay asap! | ~R428 | R35–R49 | 60 minutes | Mid |
| Woolies Dash | ~R442 (most expensive) | R40–R60 | 60 minutes | Premium |
Basket prices sourced from BusinessTech August 2025 data on nine staple grocery items. On-demand platform prices include delivery fees. Makro delivery cost varies by area. Prices may vary by region and promotional period.
Which Online Grocery Store Is Right for You?
The right platform depends on your household type, budget priority, and location. Here is the clearest framework for choosing:
Makro Online (bulk / weekly big shop) or Checkers Sixty60 (on-demand). Makro’s house brands are 20–25% cheaper than comparable items at Checkers, Pick n Pay, or Woolworths. Sixty60 is consistently cheapest among the four on-demand platforms.
Checkers Sixty60 or Pick n Pay asap! via Mr D. Real-world delivery times of 20–40 minutes in well-covered metros. asap! via Mr D set the benchmark with a confirmed 20-minute order-to-door test.
Pick n Pay asap! (FNB account holders) or Checkers Sixty60 (Xtra Savings). FNB eBucks spending on groceries from 2026 is a compelling benefit for PnP — the asap! PayDay deal on the 15th of each month offers free delivery and exclusive pricing.
Woolies Dash. The only platform offering cold chain integrity, premium prepared foods, fresh produce quality control, and the ability to order Woolworths fashion and beauty in the same basket as groceries. Worth the price premium for households who already shop at Woolworths by preference.
Checkers Sixty60 or Makro Online (shared household). Sixty60’s low delivery fee makes it the most accessible on-demand option for students. For shared student accommodation doing a weekly shop, Makro’s bulk pricing on staples saves meaningful money each month.
Checkers Sixty60 (694 stores) or Pick n Pay asap! (620 stores). Between these two, on-demand grocery delivery covers the vast majority of urban South Africa. SPAR2U at 525 stores is strongest where neither of those is the local anchor supermarket.
How to Save Money on Online Grocery Shopping in South Africa
Online grocery delivery is convenient — but convenience can nudge you into spending more than you need to. These strategies keep costs down across all South African platforms:
💡 Smart Online Grocery Shopping Strategies
- Check the specials tab first. All four major platforms display their weekly specials on the app. Sixty60’s specials are often tied to Xtra Savings; asap! runs PayDay specials on the 15th of each month for FNB customers.
- Compare house brands, not national brands. House-brand price differences between Checkers and Pick n Pay are small; house brands versus national brands can save 20–35% on staples like cooking oil, pasta, and canned goods.
- Consolidate to one weekly order above free-delivery thresholds. Multiple small orders each attract delivery fees. A single larger order above the fee threshold saves R35–R49 per week, adding up to R1,800+ per year.
- Use Makro for non-perishable bulk staples. Long-life milk, cooking oil, toilet paper, washing powder, and coffee bought in bulk from Makro consistently save more than any promotional discount at on-demand platforms.
- Link your loyalty programmes. Xtra Savings on Sixty60, Smart Shopper on asap!, and eBucks on asap! all offer cashback and discounts that compound over monthly spending. None of these require extra effort once set up.
- Use PriceCheck or Google Shopping to spot inflated online prices. A small number of products are listed at higher prices on delivery apps than in-store. Spot-checking a few key items before confirming a large order takes two minutes and occasionally catches meaningful discrepancies.
What About International Platforms Like Temu for Household Goods?
Temu and similar international platforms are not grocery stores — you will not find fresh produce, dairy, or meat on them. But they do compete with South African supermarkets and general retailers on the non-perishable household category: cleaning products, kitchen gadgets, storage solutions, small appliances, and home décor. For budget households looking to stretch their monthly budget across both groceries and household goods, it is worth understanding how these channels interact.
The comparison of Temu versus Checkers Hyper is particularly relevant here — covering how the two platforms compare specifically on non-food household goods, electronics, and general merchandise where they directly compete. And for shoppers considering Temu alongside other international platforms for household and lifestyle items, the Shein vs Temu comparison for South Africa provides a clear overview of how the two major Chinese platforms position their household and lifestyle categories relative to each other and to local retailers.
Getting the Most from Grocery Apps: Device Recommendations
All five major South African grocery delivery platforms — Sixty60, asap!, Woolies Dash, SPAR2U, and Makro — are app-first experiences. Their websites exist for ordering on desktop, but push notifications for specials, real-time delivery tracking, and loyalty integrations all work best on a smartphone with a reliable internet connection.
For household members using an older or slower Android device, app performance can degrade on these platforms — particularly Sixty60, which runs a real-time inventory check during cart assembly. If app responsiveness is an issue, the guide to the best phones under R5,000 in South Africa covers models with sufficient RAM and processor speed to run grocery apps, loyalty programmes, and banking apps without lag — at prices that remain accessible for most South African households. And for households using a shared family tablet for grocery ordering, the guide to budget laptops under R10,000 is worth reading — several under-R5,000 Chromebooks work well as household ordering devices for apps that also have web interfaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which online grocery store is cheapest in South Africa?
For on-demand delivery, Checkers Sixty60 and Shoprite consistently offer the lowest basket prices among the four major platforms, plus the lowest delivery fees at R35. For bulk shopping, Makro Online is significantly cheaper than all four on-demand services — often R75–R90 cheaper on a standard nine-item basket. Woolworths Dash is the most expensive platform.
How fast does Checkers Sixty60 deliver?
Checkers Sixty60 targets 60-minute delivery in its service areas. Real-world performance in well-covered metros is typically 30–60 minutes during off-peak times. The service is available from 694 locations including five dark stores, covering over 80% of South Africa’s addressable online grocery market.
Is Pick n Pay asap! better than Checkers Sixty60?
It depends on priorities. asap! has 44,000 listed items (more range), FNB eBucks integration, and works via the Mr D app. Sixty60 has more locations (694 vs 620), lower basket prices, and Xtra Savings integration. For FNB account holders, asap! offers the more compelling loyalty value. For pure price and coverage, Sixty60 still leads.
Is Woolies Dash available nationwide in South Africa?
Woolies Dash covers 130 sites and one dark store, reaching over 90% of the Woolworths customer base. However, it has fewer locations than Sixty60 or asap! and is concentrated in major urban centres (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria). Coverage is expanding. Check the Woolworths app for availability in your specific area.
What is the cheapest grocery delivery fee in South Africa?
Checkers Sixty60 and Shoprite charge R35 delivery — the lowest standard fee of any major SA grocery delivery service. Pick n Pay asap! and SPAR2U charge R35–R49. Woolies Dash charges R40–R60. Pick n Pay asap! offers free delivery on its FNB PayDay deal (15th of each month) for qualifying FNB account holders.
Can I earn loyalty points on online grocery orders in South Africa?
Yes. Checkers Sixty60 earns Xtra Savings points and gives access to Checkers’ weekly specials. Pick n Pay asap! earns Smart Shopper points and from 2026 integrates eBucks spending for FNB account holders. Woolies Dash earns WRewards points. SPAR2U’s loyalty integration varies by franchise.
💻 Also Worth Reading
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Looking for a reliable, affordable laptop for students, work or everyday use? This guide covers the top budget picks available in South Africa right now.
Read: Best Laptops Under R10,000 in SA →Verdict: Best Online Grocery Stores in South Africa for 2026–2027
Checkers Sixty60 is the overall leader — broadest coverage, lowest delivery fees, strongest promotional pricing, and the deepest integration with the Shoprite ecosystem. For the majority of South African households doing on-demand grocery shopping, Sixty60 is the first app to install.
Pick n Pay asap! is the strongest challenger and the better choice for FNB account holders — eBucks integration and the 15th-of-the-month PayDay free delivery deal deliver tangible financial value that Sixty60 cannot currently match. Its 44,000-item range also makes it the most complete single-app grocery experience.
Woolies Dash is for households who already shop at Woolworths and value quality over price. SPAR2U is for suburbs and smaller cities where the other three have less reach. Makro Online is for weekly bulk shopping where saving money per rand is the priority over delivery speed.
The smartest strategy is to use two platforms: an on-demand app (Sixty60 or asap!) for daily needs, and Makro Online or Click-and-Collect for the non-perishable monthly bulk shop. That combination delivers both convenience and the lowest total grocery spend.
