Since its launch in March last year, the Refreshi app has seen South Africans rescue 200 000 meals from local landfills. In doing so, consumers have also saved R12.5-million on their grocery bills.

Cape Town-based startup Refreshi’s surplus-food marketplace has also now expanded to 700 partner stores, up from the initial 35.

Through its app, Refreshi connects consumers with quality surplus food from grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants.

Users can browse discounted ‘Surprise Bags’ – content unknown, but guaranteed fresh – available at participating stores near them, pay for these bags online, and collect them during a scheduled pickup window at the end of the day.

This means that food that would otherwise have been discarded can now be enjoyed by consumers at a fraction of the original retail price.

Refreshi bags are now available in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, George and Mossel Bay.

Refreshi says it is currently seeing an average growth rate of 10 to 15 new stores a week, as it keeps more than 20 000 meals a month from entering landfills.

Participating stores include Spar, Bootlegger, Vida e Caffe, King Pie, Chateau Gateux, Vovo Telo, Ou Meul, Newmark Hotels and OK Mini Marks to name a few.

These stores have also been able to recover more than R10-million in revenue from food that would otherwise have been written off.

The local environmental benefits have been equally significant, says Refreshi.

By rescuing roughly one kilogramme of food through every Surprise Bag sold, the Refreshi community has, in total, prevented an estimated 500 000 kg of CO₂ emissions, conserved 120-million litres of water and saved more than 400 000 m2 of agricultural land.

“Food waste isn’t only an environmental issue, it’s becoming a cost-of-living issue for millions of South Africans,” says Refreshi CEO and founder Jakob Holbak.

“Every Surprise Bag helps a family spend less on groceries while helping a business recover value from food that is still perfectly good to eat. That’s why we have seen such strong growth over the past year.”

The growth comes against the backdrop of a severe national food waste challenge, explains Holbak.

Based on the latest industry reports, South Africa discards an estimated R61.5-billion worth of food every year, with around 10.3-million tons of edible food being sent to landfills every year.

“Organic waste now accounts for more than half of the country’s general waste stream, placing increasing pressure on municipal landfill sites, while local households continue to battle rising food prices during a cost-of-living crisis that has been extremely punishing to consumers this year,” says Holbak.

He says Refreshi conservatively expects to exceed 2 000 participating stores within the next year.

International markets suggest that future growth opportunities are substantial.

Italy – its population similar in size to that of South Africa –  has nearly 29 000 participating stores on comparable surplus-food platforms, rescuing around 22-million meals a year.

Refreshi’s consumer app is also supported by the Refreshi Exchange – a separate business-to-business platform that enables food manufacturers, distributors and retailers to move surplus inventory efficiently, before it reaches expiry.