Smartfill’s refill model has moved beyond pilot stage. In Tembisa’s informal retail channel, it is now capturing measurable category share and driving competitive brand switching.
New performance data shows that Smartfill represents 19% of total cooking oil sales in large informal retail stores. Within the small-pack segment (under 2L), that share rises to 39% of total volume sold.
This is not incremental growth, it is category disruption in a channel that accounts for roughly 40% of South Africa’s FMCG purchases.
Southern Oil’s B-Well Omega 3 cooking oil demonstrates the impact clearly. Without any shelf presence in spaza stores, B-Well has grown from 0% to 19% market share through Smartfill dispensers alone. Within the under-2L segment, it holds 39% share.
The refill format is not just adding distribution, it is creating new access and visibility for the brand.
A 571-customer survey conducted between October 2025 and February 2026 reveals the behaviour behind the numbers:
- 40% of shoppers switched from competing brands
- 38% chose to purchase their usual brand in refill format instead of packaged
- 22% are repeat Smartfill customers
Along with brand visibility, this combination of competitive switching, pack-to-refill conversion and repeat behaviour is what underpins the category share gains.
Smartfill’s refill price points allow households to buy only what they need, when they need it. By lowering the upfront cost of packaged goods, the format reduces the financial risk of trial and supports mid-month purchasing patterns.
“What the data shows is that refill is not niche, it’s competitive in the mass market,” says Nevo Hadas, CEO of Smartfill. “We’re seeing customers move from competing brands, shift from packaged formats into refill, and come back again. That combination is what builds real category share.”
For brands, Smartfill offers something the general trade has historically lacked: visibility into customer behaviour and measurable acquisition. For spaza owners, it drives additional footfall and consistent trade.
As Smartfill expands across additional stores in Tembisa and rolls out in Zambia and other African markets, the refill model is demonstrating that it can do more than reduce packaging waste, it can reshape how brands compete in the informal economy.
For more information on Smartfill, visit www.smartfill.store.
