Shoprite tests FillRite refills that let shoppers buy essentials from R5

What if you only have R5 for cooking oil, sugar or another household essential instead of enough money for a full-sized pack?

Shoprite is testing a new answer to that problem with FillRite, a self-service refill concept that allows customers to bring their own containers and buy everyday essentials in smaller quantities based on what they can afford.

The initiative is currently being piloted at selected stores, primarily across three stores in Gauteng, including Shoprite’s discount USave format.

Instead of being restricted to standard pre-packaged sizes, shoppers use dispensers to buy the quantity they need, with prices starting from as little as R5.

How Shoprite FillRite works

The concept is relatively simple: bring a reusable bottle or container, choose an essential product and purchase the amount that suits your budget.

Depending on the store setup, FillRite dispensers offer products including cooking oil, maize meal, flour, sugar, rice and selected cleaning liquids.

The approach gives customers greater flexibility over how much they buy at a time rather than requiring them to purchase a predetermined pack size.

It also reduces the need for single-use packaging by encouraging shoppers to reuse their own containers.

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Is Shoprite FillRite available everywhere?

Not yet.

FillRite remains a small-scale pilot being tested in selected Gauteng stores.

The trial is intended to determine whether a refill model of this kind will work at scale within mainstream supermarket environments.

There is currently no confirmed timeline for FillRite to roll out nationwide.

FillRite sparks debate over SKUBU similarities

Shoprite’s new concept has also generated debate online, with some social media users drawing comparisons between FillRite and South African startup SKUBU.

SKUBU launched in Diepsloot in 2025 and provides automated refills for products including cooking oil, sugar and maize meal.

The similarities between the two concepts have led to online questions over whether Shoprite copied the startup’s approach.

However, refill and weigh-and-pay retail concepts in South Africa predate both FillRite and SKUBU.

Other local examples include Miles Kubheka’s Gcwalisa, which launched in Alexandra around 2022.

Claims about a FillRite patent are false

The online discussion also produced claims that Shoprite was attempting to patent the FillRite technology.

Those claims are not true.

The rumour originated from a satirical page called Voice of RSA and should not be treated as a factual account of Shoprite’s plans.

The debate surrounding who introduced the concept aside, FillRite is currently a pilot rather than a confirmed nationwide Shoprite offering.

Its performance at the selected stores will determine whether the refill model has a larger future within the retailer’s supermarket network.

For shoppers participating in the trial, however, the proposition is straightforward: bring your own container and buy the amount your budget allows, starting from R5.

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