SOUTH AFRICA – Delivast, a new grocery delivery startup has launched in South Africa, with the platform allowing consumers to order goods from multiple stores in a single order and have them delivered to their preferred location.

The e-commerce platform is currently available for use on desktop, with Android and iOS apps set for release this month.

It is in operation in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Port Elizabeth and the company has partnered with Pick n Pay, Woolworth and Clicks stores, reports Disrupt.

Delivast has in-store shoppers and drivers pick, pack and deliver items on behalf of customers, who are also able to collect from the store and save on delivery fees.

The platform was founded by Ayyoob Abrahams and Tapiwa Kingsley Ndlovu, who previously co-founded travel booking platform Kumba Africa.

The reports have indicated that with the COVID-19 crisis having put a hold on the travel industry, the pair used the opportunity to build Delivast in less than three months, and will now run two separate companies.

“We are excited to enter the FMCG industry at a time when COVID-19 has upended the grocery and goods shopping experience. Through our unique technology and reliable network of drivers and shoppers, we are committed to ensuring that consumers in South Africa are able to receive their groceries and goods as quickly as possible, from the comfort of their homes. We want to make this affordable, accessible and convenient,” said Ndlovu.

The food and grocery delivery sector is becoming more and more innovative with new entrants unveiling new ways of operations that ensures convenience, efficiency, reliability and effectiveness to the user.

In Nigeria a new startup, Pricepally was launched this year allowing group-buying by users.

The platform aggregates consumer food demand in urban cities and matches it with supplies directly from farmers and wholesalers and divide the purchases accordingly, then ship them to each customer or a group destination.

The company recently secured an undisclosed amount of funding from German firm GreenTec Capital Partners to expand its operations outside its Lagos base.

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