Could This New Grocery App Change The Way People Shop in Khayelitsha?

A spaza shop, right at your fingertips

For pensioner Nozuko Dyasi* (63), who lives alone in Khayelitsha, Quickspaza has become a lifeline. Through the online business, which started operating in November 2017, residents of Khayelitsha in Cape Town can order groceries to be delivered to their door.

The app has lightened the load for Dyasi, whose children are sometimes far away from home. “As a pensioner going grocery shopping alone can cause much strain, especially carrying plastic bags to the taxi stops,” says Dyasi.

HELPING WITH A HEAVY LOAD

Zwai Panda from Grayscale Africa, the company in charge of the marketing of Quickspaza, says the platform is ideal for people whose monthly shopping for essentials weighs up to 65kg and who rely on public transport to get around, like Dyasi.

The hampers include basic, but heavy-to-carry, food items like rice, samp, sugar, vegetables, and cleaning products (dishwashing liquid, washing powder, bleaches and soaps).

Combo C, at the top of the price range at R1090, is a mix of household essentials in bulk, including 10kg of mealie meal, 10kg of rice, 10kg of sugar; 7kg of potatoes, 7kg of onions and 7kg of butternut; cleaning stuff; and other essentials like teabags, salt and yeast. There is hamper of beauty products (R95) too, which includes body lotion, roll-on, petroleum jelly and Ponds cream.

BUILD YOUR OWN HAMPER

Quickspaza also caters for convenience. Vusi Khaya (33), who has used the app thrice, says Quickspaza is efficient in delivery time (within two hours), and it saves him from having to stand in grocery store queues. Unlike going to a local spaza shop, you also don’t need to deal with cash.

“I like that I don’t need to draw cash as they come with a speed point machine. They save me a trip to the ATM, and I don’t waste any of my petrol going all the way to the stores. I receive my food hamper at wholesale prices,” says Vusi.

If you are just needing a food top-up, there’s a hamper for R150 (includes burger patties, russians and boerewors);  R285 gets you 5kg of mixed chicken portions, as well as 7kg of potatoes, onions and butternut packs. At the middle range (R650) you can order 10kg of sugar, cake flour, rice and maize meal, as well as 2,5kg of samp and other staples like pilchards, baked beans, yeast and spices, cooking oil, and 250g of coffee.

You can also choose to build your own food hamper and fill your basket with individual items that you like and use.

ORDERING TO YOUR DOOR

The app is available for download on the Google Play Store, which means it’s available on Android only at this stage. But many actually use the WhatsApp service or call them directly to place their orders directly with the Quickspaza team.

Quickspaza only delivers to Khayelitsha, Delft, Mfuleni, and Driftsands. Drivers and staff employed by Quickspaza are from Khayelitsha and surrounding areas, as they know the area well, says Panda. “They rely on Google Maps and calling the customers to reach to reach destinations.”

Tip: The service gets busy during the day. It’s better to place your order in the morning to get it by the afternoon.

Bill: From R95 to R1090, prices vary monthly.

Opening Times: Monday to Friday: 9am–5pm | Weekends: 9am–2pm

Check out this explorers guide to Khayelitsha, as well as 4roomed foods restaurant and our niche selection of online stores in Cape Town.

* Names have been changed, as sources wanted to remain anonymous. 

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By: Buhle Lindwa

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