A kilogram of maize meal costs R9 at Skubu, a newly launched grocery store in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, offering essential food items at prices significantly lower than major South African retail chains.
The pilot store, which began gaining attention in January 2026 following a viral TikTok video, allows customers to purchase food and household goods in quantities they can afford by bringing their own containers for refills. The initiative is a partnership between the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and local technology company Sonke (Pty) Ltd.
Skubu’s model focuses on staple products like maize meal, cooking oil, sugar, rice, and detergent, dispensed at fixed prices per litre or kilogram. This pricing structure aims to address the challenge faced by low-income families who often cannot afford to buy in bulk, even when it offers a lower per-unit cost. Currently, 500g of sugar is priced at R10.
Customers have expressed positive reactions to the store’s affordability. “With R50, I can go to bed with a full stomach,” one shopper told local media. The store’s emergence comes as food prices continue to rise nationally. Data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group indicated that the average household food basket reached R5,443.12 in June 2025, a 3.6% increase year-on-year, exceeding the national consumer inflation rate of 2.8% at the time.
Skubu operates as a refill store, eliminating the require for branded packaging and allowing customers to buy the precise amount of product they require. This approach is intended to reduce packaging waste and provide flexibility for shoppers. The store’s model is being described by some locals as a “game-changer” in the area.
The launch of Skubu follows a period of increasing financial strain on South African households. The store’s founders and partners hope the model can be replicated in other low-income communities across the country. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation has not yet commented on plans for expansion.
