Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Unwrapped reveals how South Africans shopped in 2025

South Africans have spoken through billions of data points based on the shopping habits of over 11 million Smart Shoppers, whose trolleys tell a story of how the country shops and saves.

This year’s Pick n Pay Smart Shopper Unwrapped reveals a nation that shops with rhythm and purpose, and a loyalty programme that continues to help stretch household budgets at an impressive scale.  Since January 2025, R7 billion in savings have been earned by Smart Shoppers, throwing a lifeline to households navigating rising costs.  “No surprise then that nearly two million customers registered as Smart Shopper during the same period,” said Vince Viviers, Executive of Innovation and Digital at Pick n Pay.

Johannesburg led the nation in total Smart Shopper savings, with customers earning over R1 billion in savings from Pick n Pay. Cape Town closely followed and holds the regional title for highest average Rand savings per Smart Shopper.

South Africans are most likely to shop on a Friday, turning the weekly shop into a collective national routine.  The Pick n Pay with the highest number of Smart Shopper swipes in the country is Pick n Pay Tembisa, followed by Pick n Pay Promenade in Cape Town and Pick n Pay Hyper North in Durban.

South Africans have also embraced the convenience of Pick n Pay asap!, making it an integral part of their weekly shopping routine. The new integrated Smart Shopper and asap! app achieved 1.7 million new installs and drove 44% year-on-year growth in on-demand sales for Pick n Pay in just the first half of the fiscal year.  With 97% availability on ordered items, the app is enjoying strong growth in return customers. “The most loyal customer, a Capetonian, placed 327 asap! orders since January this year, with top customers in Johannesburg and Durban vying for second place – with 246 and 228 repeat orders respectively,” Madley said. “These power users show just how integrated Pick n Pay asap! has become in South Africans' everyday lives, from quick top-ups to full weekly shops.”

Smart Shoppers have three key shopping missions that feature nation wise:

1. Fresh Healthy Full shop: A big shop, featuring a large basket of goods across multiple aisles, featuring fresh, healthy product choices
2. Pantry Filling & Cleaning: A fairly broad shop to restock edible pantry items as well as household cleaning essentials
3. Sweets, snacks and Groceries: A medium sized food shop featuring pantry items, and some fresh healthy options as well as sweets, drinks, snacks and baking aids

Each city’s broader shopping baskets reveal distinct regional favourites and flavours.

Smart Shoppers in Cape Town over-index on health-forward options such as free-range meats, rice cakes, dried lentils, lettuce and avocados; Sauvignon Blanc, white box wine and sweet biscuits, and local favourites such as biltong and chutney.

Johannesburg Smart Shoppers over-index on the essential ingredients at the heart of the South African dinner table, with baskets dominated by maize meal, beef and bulk portions of chicken, samp, spinach and maas, reflecting a preference for hearty, home-centred meals. These staples are complemented by premium beer and red and rosé box wine for weekend wind-downs, while a notable love for watermelon has earned Joburg the title of the watermelon capital of South Africa. Despite being famous for its energy, Gauteng doesn’t see customers buying into energy drinks as much as its coastal counterparts.

Durban is flavour, heat and sunshine, and its shopping baskets reflect a city alive with cultural richness and spontaneity, with trolleys over-indexing on samoosas, fresh chillies, curry leaves and speciality rice that speak to its vibrant food culture. This is paired with hot chips and beach shorts, a nod to a lifestyle shaped by endless summer, while Easter eggs and hot cross buns highlight Durban’s role as a national holiday destination. “Irish whisky and Spirit Coolers also feature strongly, underscoring a city where celebration is part of everyday life.”

“Smart Shopper continues to anchor South Africans’ weekly shopping lives as a programme that helps customers save, and we will continue to innovate in ways that help save more, more often.”