The largest on-demand grocery delivery service in South Africa
The Checkers Sixty60 app is currently South Africa’s largest on-demand grocery delivery service, made possible by the partnership with Zulzi.
Zulzi developed and continues to support the Checkers Sixty60 platform, which encompasses the customer app, in-store app, dashboards, order allocation engine, and SAP POS integration.
Zulzi was responsible for creating the original Checkers platform and continues to maintain it. The company remains heavily involved, employing a team of 34 Engineers, project managers, and quality assurance personnel from within its ranks, according to mybroadband.co.za. The deliveries include liquor and pharmaceutical deliveries from seven dark stores.
When it comes to medication, it allows users to upload their prescription and instantly claim from their medical aid scheme, making pharmaceutical deliveries efficient and convenient, a first for the country.
A typical delivery time is 17 minutes from the moment an order is made to when it reaches the customer's location. The service is accessible every day of the week, starting at 06:00 and ending at 23:00, though times differ per store.
In 2013, Vutlharhi "Donald" Valoyi established Zulzi with the goal of enhancing the efficiency of delivering online purchases in South Africa. Later Zulzi enlisted Michael Netshipise as its chief technology officer and he spearheaded the creation of a platform that enables customers to conveniently purchase a wide range of products online and receive them within an hour.
Zulzi caught the eye of Checkers and once Checkers realised their lack of a preexisting delivery system they took them onboard to construct a top-of-the-line systems that would tackle their intricate delivery issues. One of the hurdles that was overcome is the issue of replacing missing products in online grocery retail.
The launch of Checkers Sixty60 proved to be a huge triumph, solidifying its position as a top competitor in the market.
Since the launch of Sixty60 in November 2019, Checkers has consistently experienced robust sales growth every year. The update for the company's fiscal year ending on 30 June 2024 reported a significant increase of 58.1% in platform sales.
Offering a fast, on-demand grocery delivery service to consumers is akin to gifting them with time - the most valuable commodity in our busy society.
There was a widespread belief that the online grocery delivery market would diminish once the Covid-19 lockdowns ended. Nevertheless, Checkers Sixty60 and similar services have experienced ongoing growth.