Groceries And Apparel Segments Drive South Africa’s Uptake Of Online Shopping Platforms
South Africa’s retail sector is in the midst of a significant digital revolution, led by remarkable growth in both the apparel and grocery shopping sectors, according to a new report. Recent financial reports from the country’s leading retailers paint a clear picture: online channels are no longer a minor part of their business but have become primary engines of revenue growth. This transformative shift signals a fundamental change in consumer behaviour and corporate strategy, with e-commerce on track to account for nearly 10 per cent of all retail sales by the end of 2025.
The story is particularly dynamic in the grocery sector, where on-demand shopping apps have become a staple for consumers. Shoprite’s interim FY2025 results highlighted the extraordinary pace of this transformation, with digital sales through Checkers Sixty60 surging by 47.1 per cent for the half year. This remarkable growth rate translated into approximately USD 1 billion in sales, a figure that was unimaginable for on-demand grocery just a few years ago.
Supermarket chain Pick n Pay reported a 60.6 per cent increase in its online sales for FY2024, driven by strong momentum in its on-demand and scheduled delivery platforms. The fierce competition between these two retail giants is a clear sign that on-demand delivery has moved from an experimental service to a critical driver of sustained revenue growth.
In the world of fashion and home goods, Woolworths has seen its online sales for Fashion, Beauty, and Home rise by 37.2 per cent in its interim FY2025 results. This growth illustrates the company’s success in leveraging its dual focus on premium goods and lifestyle retail to drive online adoption.
Similarly, The Foschini Group (TFG), in its Q1 FY2026 trading update, announced a s 40.2 per cent increase in TFG Africa’s online sales. The company’s digital platform, Bash, is now a material contributor to group revenue, a testament to how quickly a new digital platform can scale to a double-digit contribution.
Fashion retailer Truworths has also reported significant progress, with online sales jumping 38 per cent to now account for approximately 6 per cent of its Africa retail sales, a notable leap from the less than 2 per cent contribution just four years ago. In the value segment, Mr Price is showing steady growth, with online sales up 10.5 per cent in Q3 FY2025. These figures demonstrate that retailers across the board are not just dabbling in e-commerce; they are making it a central pillar of their business.
Growth is also evident in health and beauty, a sector once considered firmly tied to physical retail. Healthcare chain Clicks reported a 23 per cent increase in online retail sales for H1 FY2025. This steady adoption shows growing consumer comfort with purchasing a wider range of goods online, from personal care products to pharmaceuticals.
The cumulative effect of these trends is a national e-commerce market that expanded by 35 per cent in 2024, far outpacing the mere 2.5 per cent growth in offline retail. In mid-2025, the median growth rate across major retailers is expected to reach 38 per cent for the full year, a trajectory that will push the sector’s total value to approximately USD 7.5 billion, and raise its share of the market to nearly 10 per cent.
