South Africans cutting down on Uber Eats and Mr D
South Africans spent more money on online grocery orders in 2026, while cutting down on restaurant visits and takeaway orders.
According to Discovery Bank and Visa’s SpendTrend26 report, the channels consumers used for food-related spending were changing rapidly.
“Online grocery shopping remains one of the fastest-growing everyday spending channels, while in-store grocery spending has softened,” Discovery Bank said.
Online grocery spending increased by 13% in 2025, building on 15% growth in 2024. In-store grocery spending decreased by 5%, swinging from a 6% increase in 2024.
In the SpendTrend26 survey, 79% of South Africans said they bought groceries online for convenience and time saving, while 46% cited avoiding crowds, parking and queues as their primary motivations.
“Other important reasons include better availability and easier browsing, better prices and easier comparison, and the greater discipline of shopping online with fewer temptations,” the bank said.
Discovery Bank said the trends suggested that digital grocery shopping was becoming embedded in South Africa’s everyday routines.
One noteworthy trend in the report was that clients aged 31 to 40 years accounted for the highest share of online grocery spending.
“This indicates that digital grocery shopping is no longer driven only by younger consumers,” Discovery Bank said.
“Instead, it is becoming a mainstream behaviour across life stages, particularly among consumers balancing busy routines with convenience.”
The bank also shared details about the most popular days for grocery shopping. For online orders, most South Africans shopped on Sunday, while in-person shops mostly happened on Saturdays.
“This suggests that many households are using online channels for planned weekly shopping while still relying on physical stores for concentrated weekend top-ups and preparation for the week,” the bank said.
The most popular retailers for in-store shopping were Checkers, Food Lover’s Market, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths.
The top online grocery platforms were Checkers Sixty60, Pick n Pay Asap, Spar2U, UCook, and Woolworths Online.
Discovery Bank said the prominence of these apps reinforced how convenience, delivery and curated grocery solutions were reshaping everyday food shopping habits.
Spending on restaurants and takeaways declined
The prepared foods industry saw a significant decline in activity in 2025, with dining-out spending dropping 4%, a sharp reversal from the 13% increase in 2024.
In addition, weekly restaurant visits were becoming less frequent, with 16% of South Africans eating out once or twice per week, compared to 22% in 2024.
While overall spending on takeaways increased, the overall frequency of takeaway purchases declined. Where 40% of consumers ordered takeaways weekly in 2024, only 27% did the same in 2025.
“This suggests households are becoming more selective about when and how often they order food, balancing convenience with affordability,” Discovery Bank said.
The most popular online takeaway apps were Kauai, KFC, Mr D, Nando’s, and Uber Eats. For in-person dining, the top five options were KFC, McDonald’s, Mugg & Bean, Nando’s, and Spur.
“Large restaurant networks with wide national footprints and drive-through accessibility continue to dominate everyday dining choices,” Discovery Bank said.
While convenient, apps like Uber Eats and Mr D have often been criticised for high fees and commissions that force businesses on their apps to charge much higher prices on items than when bought in-store.
Over the years, several MyBroadband analyses have found that products on Uber Eats can be 20% to 45% more expensive than when bought directly from the shop.
Some takeaway establishments also offer dedicated apps with higher flat delivery fees instead of higher product prices, similar to the approach taken by on-demand grocery delivery apps.
MyBroadband found that customers often don’t have to spend much on an order before the flat delivery option works out cheaper than using Uber or Mr D.
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