South Africans have saved R12.5 million on groceries, while preventing 200,000 meals from going to landfill. refreshA local startup that built a surplus-food marketplace that has expanded from just 35 partner stores to 700 across the country in under a year.
The startup has released its first annual Grocery Savings Impact ReportRevealing how selling quality surplus food at discounted prices (instead of throwing it away) is helping South African families stretch their grocery budgets while creating a new revenue stream for retailers.
Through its app, Refreshi connects consumers to quality surplus food from grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants. Users can browse discounted “Surprise Bags” available at their nearest participating stores, pay for them securely online, and collect them during a scheduled pickup window at the end of the day. Instead of food that would otherwise be discarded, consumers enjoy it at a fraction of the original retail price.
The model has exceeded initial expectations, and has produced significant results over the past year. Since launching in Stellenbosch in March 2025, Refreshee bags are now available in 700 participating stores in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gkebarha, George and Mossel Bay, with an average growth rate of 10-15 new stores per week until July 2026. These stores include Spar, Bootlegger, Vida e Café, King Pie, Chateau Gateaux, Vovo Tello, Eau Meul. Newmark Hotels and OK Mini Marks are some of these.
The platform now serves over 200,000 registered people usersAnd saves over 20,000 meals of quality food from landfills every month. In the last year alone, South African consumers have collectively saved R12.5 million on their groceries through Refreshi Surprise Bags, while participating retailers have recovered over R10 million in revenue from quality food that would otherwise have, undeservedly, been written off as waste.
The local environmental benefits have been equally important. By saving approximately one kilogram of food through each Surprise Bag sold, the Refreshi community has prevented an estimated 500,000 kilograms of CO₂ emissions, conserved 120 million liters of water and saved more than 400,000 square meters of agricultural land.
“Food waste is not only an environmental issue, it is also becoming a cost-of-living issue for millions of South Africans,” says Jacob Holbuck, CEO and Founder of Refreshi. “Each Surprise Bag helps a family spend less on groceries while helping a business recover value from food that's still good to eat. That's why we've seen such strong growth over the past year.”
This increase comes against the backdrop of a serious national food waste challenge. Based on the latest industry reports, South Africa discards an estimated R61.5 billion worth of food each year, with approximately 10.3 million tonnes of edible food sent to landfill annually.
“Organic waste now accounts for more than half of the country's general waste flow, increasing pressure on municipal landfill sites, while local families are struggling with rising food prices during a survival crisis that has been extremely devastating for consumers this year. We believe technology can help change these circumstances for consumers, retailers and our environment. By creating an easy-to-use, everyday app, we knew we could help consumers and businesses. “Can create a way to keep surplus food in circulation, while also putting money back into both of their pockets,” he adds. Holbach.
The company shows no signs of slowing down. Refreshi expects to have more than 2,000 participating stores within the next year. Looking ahead, the company sees an opportunity to create one of South Africa’s largest circular economy marketplaces by saving millions of meals annually. International markets suggest the opportunity is substantial. Italy, with a population similar to South Africa, has about 29,000 partner stores on comparable surplus-food platforms, saving about 22 million meals each year.
“Our startup aims to play a role in complementing the vital work already being done by organizations like FoodForward SA, with whom we have partnered, and SA Harvest. While food donation is vital to supporting vulnerable communities, not every surplus product can be redistributed quickly enough. Refreshi's app helps bridge that significant gap,” Holbuck concluded.
Startup's consumer app further supported Refreshee ExchangeA differentiated business-to-business platform that enables manufacturers, distributors and retailers to efficiently move surplus inventory before it reaches expiration. Overall, both platforms are well-equipped to deliver on the startup’s vision of creating one of South Africa’s largest circular economy marketplaces.
As South Africa works towards its commitment to halve food waste by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Refreshi believes the solution will come from making food rescue a normal part of everyday shopping rather than an occasional act of sustainability.
//staff Writer