Sonke’s new smart refill stations slash packaging waste by 1.5M units

SOUTH AFRICA – South African startup Sonke has deployed IoT-enabled automated dispensers at two Skubu stores in Diepsloot, Gauteng, saving shoppers ZAR 1.3 million (approximately US$68,500) and diverting 1.5 million bottles, bags, and other packaging from landfills as of March 2026.

Founded in 2020 by industrial engineer Eben de Jongh, a former Unilever factory manager, Sonke addresses what he calls the “poverty tax,” where lower-income households pay more per unit for essentials because they cannot afford bulk purchases.

At Pick n Pay, a 5-litre bottle of sunflower oil costs ZAR 197.99 (approximately US$10.40), working out to ZAR 39.60 per litre (US$2.08), while the smallest 750ml bottle costs ZAR 36.99 (approximately US$1.94), working out to ZAR 49.32 per litre (US$2.59), a 25 percent premium for the poorest shoppers.

Sonke’s solution: refill stations that charge a single bulk price regardless of quantity, cutting costs by up to 50 percent while eliminating single-use packaging entirely.

Technology with Purpose

Sonke’s machines boast 99 percent fill accuracy and integrate with retailer point-of-sale systems.

IoT connectivity enables real-time sales tracking, automated replenishment alerts, and remote firmware updates.

The backend software provides full traceability from warehouse to consumer, while the CSIR analyzes data to assess scalability.

A barcode printed with each dispense allows checkout at self-service kiosks, a first for a lower-income area where self-checkout has traditionally been reserved for more affluent shoppers.

From Pilot to Scale

The rollout was enabled by the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation’s Circular Economy Demonstration Fund, administered by the CSIR, which provided technical support and site selection expertise.

Products currently available include maize meal at ZAR 9 per kilogram (approximately US$0.47), sugar at ZAR 10 per half-kilogram (approximately US$0.53), cooking oil, washing powder, and cleaning liquids.

The two pilot stores, at Bambanani Mall and Chuma Mall in Diepsloot, have already demonstrated measurable impact: ZAR 1.3 million (US$68,500) in shopper savings and 1.5 million pieces of packaging eliminated.

Major Retailers Take Notice

Sonke lists Shoprite, Spar, and OBC butchery as partners on its website, suggesting potential broader deployment.

The startup has also partnered with Unilever through the TRANSFORM impact accelerator, dispensing Sunlight and Handy Andy products with cost savings up to 60 percent.

Professor Linda Godfrey of the CSIR described Skubu as a “great demonstration initiative” showing how circular economy principles can be implemented through collaboration, bringing universities and science councils closer to the private sector to de-risk and scale circular interventions.

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