Smartfill’s refill model has moved beyond the 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:
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40% of shoppers switched from competing brands
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38% chose to purchase their usual brand in refill format instead of packaged
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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.
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About Smartfill
Smartfill is an innovative, socially conscious retail solution designed to revolutionise the retail environment. It reduces the need for single-use plastic packaging, offering a sustainable approach to dispensing food and cleaning products. With its digital interface and built-in sensors, Smartfill allows customers to purchase precise quantities by value or weight, promoting affordability and reducing waste. Manufacturers benefit from real-time stock tracking, streamlined logistics, and increased margins, all managed through a centralised administration panel.
Smartfill is an innovative, socially conscious retail solution designed to revolutionise the retail environment. It reduces the need for single-use plastic packaging, offering a sustainable approach to dispensing food and cleaning products. With its digital interface and built-in sensors, Smartfill allows customers to purchase precise quantities by value or weight, promoting affordability and reducing waste. Manufacturers benefit from real-time stock tracking, streamlined logistics, and increased margins, all managed through a centralised administration panel.
Smartfill is at the forefront of refill and reuse innovation, earning recognition from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, TRANSFORM and WWF for its ability to deliver scalable, real-world sustainability outcomes in emerging markets.
Created by DY|DX, a specialist consultancy focused on sustainable innovation and behaviour change, and deployed in partnership with Smollan, Smartfill is now operating across South Africa, Zambia, Bangladesh and Kenya demonstrating its potential to reshape retail in diverse global contexts.
About Nevo Hadas
Nevo Hadas is CEO at Smartfill, bringing over 25 years of product design and executive leadership experience. With a track record of scaling start-ups and driving innovation at publicly traded companies,A lecturer on innovation, he is committed to creating solutions that transform underserved communities while promoting a more sustainable future.
