The grocery delivery market in South Africa has grown tremendously in the last few years as the online shopping market has boomed.
With consumers increasingly prioritising convenience, revenue for the grocery delivery market is now projected to surpass R23 billion ($1.35 billion) by the end of 2025, according to Statista.
South Africa’s largest retailers – like Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths – have pushed to meet the rising consumer demand, competing on speed and simplicity – and experienced immense success.
Pick n Pay, for example, has ridden the wave of growth in the market aggressively, as it saw its online sales rise by 34.4% for the half-year ended 31 August 2025.
It attributed this to strong momentum in its on-demand Pick n Pay asap! and scheduled delivery platforms.
The booming industry has provided thousands of jobs in South Africa, as behind it lies an army of delivery drivers who work long hours to make ends meet and deliver orders – often within a 60-minute promised timeline, depending on the retailer.
Most drivers deliver for grocery chains like Checkers Sixty60, SPAR2U, Woolies Dash, or Pick n Pay asap! through a third-party logistics partner that handles the last-mile delivery to a customer’s door.
Pick n Pay’s deliveries, for example, are powered by Picup (which is majority owned by Karooooo), and offers on-demand delivery within 60 minutes from collection.
Picup provides services for a wide range of major South African clients, including Dis-Chem and bash.
As a result, drivers operate as independent contractors, a lot like Uber drivers; they remain responsible for their own vehicles, fuel, and other expenses, and don’t get typical additional employee benefits.
They also work long hours with relatively low wages – but tips, surge pricing, and other incentives offer a better earning potential than traditional labour.
Earlier this year, BusinessTech spoke to a delivery driver from Pick n Pay asap! to find out more about their experience.
What Pick n Pay asap! drivers earn
Pick n Pay asap! drivers reported earning up to around R6,500 per month in take home pay, but this number varied significantly.
Those at the higher end of the scale owned their own bikes. Drivers who didn’t own their own bikers earned less.
One driver said they earn around R2,800 per month after deductions, while most drivers reported earning between R2,400 and R5,400 take home pay.
Another driver said that, after operating expenses, they take home around R2,500 on a bad month, and over R3,000 on a good month.
The same driver said that he does deliveries for Pick n Pay asap! for 13 hours per day, starting at 07:00 in the morning, and works six days a week. After his 13-hour shift, he works for Uber Eats in the evening to make ends meet.
Pick n Pay asap! drivers are paid per delivery, so their earnings are dependent on how busy they are in a day. One driver told BusinessTech they can do anywhere between 5–20 deliveries in a day.
They earn a base rate of R30 per trip for deliveries – delivery is charged at R35 to the customer – within a five kilometre range.
Greater distances pay a little more, and compensation is adjusted based on distance and fuel – from R4 to over R25.
The driver said that his operating costs – providing his own vehicle, paying for his petrol, maintaining his bike, etc – come to around R1,000 per week.
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