Groceries: current catalogues and specials in South Africa

Complete Guide to Groceries Specials and Promotions in South Africa

How prices and promotions move in this category

Groceries is one of the main groups of catalogues in South Africa. Right now 11 stores in the South Africa hub have a current catalogue in this category, 11 editions in total, and the most active are Boxer, Checkers and Devland. Use this page to see them side by side and open any store hub for its full schedule.

Supermarket promotions follow the rhythm of fresh food. Fruit and vegetables are cheapest in season and are often the headline of a weekly catalogue, while meat and fish offers rotate from week to week and are frequently reduced as a pack approaches its sell-by date. Staples such as rice, pasta, oil and tinned goods are discounted in rotation, so the best strategy is to stock up when your regular brand is on promotion rather than every week.

Across all categories the same rule applies: the advertised price is only half of the picture. Look at the validity window, the quantity limits and whether a membership is needed, and compare with the previous edition to see whether a discount is genuinely new or simply recurring.

Take a few minutes to read the conditions printed at the bottom of each page. They explain quantity limits, regional differences and the exact products an offer covers, which is where many misunderstandings about catalogue prices start.

Comparing the main stores

The stores with a current catalogue in this category are Boxer, Checkers, Devland, Jumbo and OBC. Their editions differ in size: Checkers currently has the longest one with 14 pages, while OBC has the shortest with 1. A longer catalogue is not automatically a better one, but it usually means a wider range of specials to compare in a single place.

Several of these retailers connect their specials to a loyalty programme: Xtra Savings (Checkers). If you shop regularly in one of them, the card can be worth more than the headline discount, but make sure the price you see in the catalogue is the one you will actually pay.

On our site, editions in this category usually start on Monday and stay valid for about 16 days. Because stores do not all publish on the same day, it often pays to look at Devland, Jumbo and OBC as well before you decide: a competitor's catalogue may begin a day or two later with a better price on the same item.

Prices in a catalogue are valid only for the printed dates. If an edition has just ended, the next one is usually already listed on the store page, so you rarely need to wait long to see what replaces it.

Smart shopping strategies

Combine every layer of savings. Start with the catalogue price, then check for multi-buy conditions, digital coupons and loyalty discounts. Work out the price per unit for each combination and remember that a coupon on a product you would not otherwise buy is not a saving. Keeping a short list of items you buy regularly makes it easier to recognise a genuinely good price.

Timing matters as well. Buy perishable items close to when you will use them, stock up on non-perishables when your usual brand is discounted, and avoid buying large quantities of anything with a short shelf life just because the unit price is low. In seasonal categories, the best prices often arrive at the end of the season, when stores need the space.

To keep exploring, return to the South Africa hub, browse related groups such as Home & Garden and Miscellaneous, or open the hub of Boxer and Checkers to follow one retailer week by week.