[Image: Bizcommunity]
Who knew that the war on high grocery prices would begin in Diepsloot? A new pilot store called Skubu has popped up in Johannesburg — and it’s not just fighting food inflation, it’s coming for the supermarket big dogs with reusable containers in hand.
This isn’t your average corner shop. Skubu is slinging essentials like maize meal, cooking oil, rice, sugar, and detergent — all at up to half the price you’d normally pay at the likes of Pick n Pay or Shoprite.
And there’s a twist: bring your own container and buy exactly what you can afford. No more overspending on a full 2kg bag when you just need a handful of rice to get through the week.
Backed by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the CSIR, and local tech start-up Sonke (Pty) Ltd, Skubu is basically the love child of science, innovation, and pure economic common sense, reported BusinessTech.
At the refill stations, pricing is fixed per kilo or litre, which means smaller buys don’t come with a sneaky per-unit penalty — a long-standing injustice in poorer communities where bulk buying just isn’t realistic.
A customer summed it up best: “Prices are different from those in other shops. Things are affordable. With R50, I can go to bed with a full stomach.”
That’s a huge win in the middle of a food price crisis. Because let’s be honest, the numbers are brutal.
According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group, the cost of a basic monthly food basket hit R5,443.12 in June — up 3.6% from last year and outpacing inflation. So, when someone offers maize meal at R9 per kg and sugar at R10 for 500g, people notice.
But Skubu isn’t just about saving your pocket. It’s also flipping the script on waste. With zero single-use packaging, the whole setup is a mini revolution in sustainability. Sonke’s smart, internet-connected dispensers track product flow from warehouse to shelf, cutting plastic, cutting cost, and cutting corners (in the best way).
Sure, most shoppers came for the bargains, not the eco credentials — but the government’s got a bigger picture in mind. The whole project is funded by the Circular Economy Demonstration Fund, with a mission to blend environmental and economic innovation into one refillable package.
Eben de Jongh, Sonke’s founder, broke it down: “It is a fully automated refill store where people can buy the quantity of goods that they need at a price that they can afford.” No gimmicks, no greenwashing — just straight-up functionality.
Professor Linda Godfrey of the CSIR, who is spearheading the Circular Innovation South Africa initiative, sees this as more than just a store. “The intention is to focus on the national system of innovation, which looks at how a country creates and applies new ideas to improve technology and grow its economy,” she said.
Dr Mmboneni Muofhe from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation said this is about using innovation to power both local enterprise and planet-friendly practices.
So yes, this is a test. A prototype. A small store with big ambition.
If the pilot sticks the landing, you could be seeing a Skubu refill station in a community near you, giving power back to the people, one scoop of sugar at a time.
[Source: BusinessTech]
