In South Africa’s rapidly developing online grocery sector, Spar is stepping up its game by significantly strengthening its collaboration with Uber Eats. With aspirations to expand to over 800 sites, Spar, which has been restricted to a small number of stores since July 2025, currently has 275 locations active on the Uber Eats platform.
This calculated manoeuvre aims to increase Spar’s share of the recent growth in demand for digital groceries.
Blake Raubenheimer, Spar’s Omnichannel Executive, explained the motivation behind the move: “Spar’s roots are in community. Partnering with Uber Eats lets us carry that community connection into the digital economy”.
Connecting these local business owners to a larger audience of online buyers benefits Spar’s network, which comprises over 80% independently owned stores operating under the Spar, Tops, and KwikSpar brands.
Uber Eats powers Spar’s digital expansion
This expanded collaboration with Uber Eats marks a clear challenge to the dominance of Shoprite’s Sixty60 app, which has led the South African market for on-demand grocery delivery.
According to McKinsey’s State of Grocery Retail 2024 report, South Africa’s online grocery sales have grown at an annual rate of 54% since 2019, reaching R23-billion, with roughly 26% of consumers planning to increase their digital grocery spend.
Uber Eats’ EMEA grocery lead, Alex Troughton, highlighted how consumer expectations are evolving: “Consumers no longer view delivery as a luxury; they expect it”. By significantly increasing the number of Spar stores on the app, Uber Eats helps reimagine grocery shopping around modern consumer behaviours informed by data and real-world outcomes.
Spar’s digital push through Uber Eats signals its ambition to keep pace and grow aggressively in the competitive on-demand grocery sector. The alliance, which combines Uber’s proven delivery infrastructure with local store networks to offer convenience and community spirit in one basket, is a timely response to changing retail practices.