101 Engen petrol stations in South Africa have changed forever

Engen’s forecourts are shifting their business model from fuel stations to all-in-one retail stops, following the success of the company’s Woolworths Foodstop stores.

Back in 2000, Engen entered a partnership with the supermarket chain Woolworths to launch a pilot project with new convenience stores at two of its petrol stations in Cape Town, South Africa.

The pilot’s goal was to examine whether there was demand for a 24-hour convenience store selling Woolworths products to motorists who didn’t have time to do a full grocery stop.

More than 20 years later, the Woolworths Foodstop is a massive success with 101 locations at Engen forecourts nationwide.

These outlets give motorists access to a variety of products not associated with petrol stations, which typically sell basic snacks like cooldrinks, chips, and chocolates.

In contrast, Woolworths Foodstops sell ready-made meals, fresh produce, milk, bread, and other daily essentials, allowing households to stock up from a more convenient location.

The pilot proved there was a high demand for such a service, which led to the two companies expanding their strategic partnership in 2003.

Three locations were opened in Gauteng, after which Engen and Woolworths rolled out the service at stations along major commuting routes nationwide.

Engen’s Foodstops have evolved over the last two decades with an expanding range of products. The fuel retailer sees the convenience stores as an increasingly important way for it to reach customers outside of traditional malls, shopping centres, and supermarkets.

In 2015, Woolworths stated that it was focused on delivering convenience across its different retail formats.

This included the Engen Foodstops, which included 62 locations after seven more stores were opened that year. This grew to 68 stores in 2016, then 72 in 2017, and 74 in 2018.

The expansion stalled in 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but by 2021, the number of Foodstops had climbed to 81.

Woolworths has doubled down on the partnership in recent years as the company continues to invest in convenience shopping and its on-demand delivery service Woolies Dash.

Engens used as fulfilment centres

Woolworths opened its 100th Foodstop at an Engen forecourt during the 2025 financial year. It also marked the launch of its Woolies After Dark service in partnership with Uber Eats.

Woolies After Dark is a service where certain Foodstop locations operate as fulfilment centres for late-night deliveries ordered through Uber Eats.

It is now available at more than 70 locations and allows customers to order a selection of Woolworths products until midnight.

Woolworths Food remains the strongest-performing part of the Woolworths Holding group in South Africa, according to BusinessTech.

The company’s latest financial results for the year ended 28 June 2026 show that Woolworths Food’s revenue increased from R51.47 billion to R54.33 billion year-on-year.