Shoprite Holdings has introduced voice navigation features to its Sixty60 grocery delivery app, making it more accessible for blind and visually impaired users.
According to Blind SA and Shoprite’s official newsroom release, this was announced on Monday.
This update follows a collaboration with Blind SA, a nonprofit advocating for accessibility after the app’s relaunch in October 2024 revealed challenges for visually impaired shoppers.
Voice navigation transforms shopping experience
Since the January 2025 update, the Sixty60 app now “talks” to users, reading out product names and guiding them through the shopping process.
Blind SA president Christo de Klerk said, “This makes a major difference in the life of a blind person,” highlighting how the app reads item names aloud and allows users to add products to their basket through voice commands.
The app improvements include more transparent labels and control types that work seamlessly with screen readers. For example, during the PIN verification step, screen readers now provide clear guidance and read back user input, reducing errors.
Product cards have been enhanced with contextual information also read aloud, making it easier for users to navigate and select items independently.
Checkers partners with Blind SA to enhance user experience
Blind SA approached Checkers with priority issues after the October 2024 app update.
Checkers responded by upskilling its developers and testers on accessibility tools and paradigms, embedding a deep awareness of visually impaired users’ needs into the team.
Christo de Klerk praised this commitment, saying Checkers “serves as a role model for other companies” in improving app accessibility.
Additional enhancements include improved order and basket summary screens and fully accessible product search functionality.
User-created shopping lists can now be edited independently by blind users, a feature that was previously difficult to manage.
Blind SA noted that further improvements are planned, such as enabling users to hear basket totals and savings directly from the navigation bar.
Traditional in-store shopping poses many challenges for visually impaired people, including difficulty finding products and navigating busy aisles safely.
Grocery delivery apps like Sixty60 offer a safer and more convenient alternative, but only if designed with accessibility.
Michael Taylor, a blind accessibility review specialist, explained that many apps fail to provide complete information via screen readers, turning simple tasks like selecting substitute items into frustrating ordeals.
Nicole Roos from Blind SA emphasized ongoing collaboration: “Although it has not been possible to iron out all accessibility issues as yet, Checkers remains in constant communication with Blind SA. My hope is that other retailers will be as willing to improve their accessibility to ensure equal access for all”.
Shoprite’s Sixty60 app update marks a significant step toward inclusive online grocery shopping, showing how technology can empower visually impaired users to shop independently and confidently.