The Hidden Cost of Food Waste: How Still Good Saved South Africans R4 Million in 6 Months

South Africans are paying for food waste twice—first at the till, and again when good food ends up in landfills instead of on plates. Still Good exists to flip that script, and in our first six months, customers collectively saved an estimated R4 million while preventing perfectly edible food from going to waste.

Why food waste costs families

Food waste isn't just an environmental issue; it's a household budget issue that compounds every month. When retailers and brands discard surplus due to seasonal shifts, packaging changes, or conservative date-label practices, those inefficiencies get priced into the system—and families feel it in their carts. By redirecting surplus at reduced prices, Still Good removes wasteful costs from the chain and returns the value to households where it belongs.

• Each rand of food thrown away drains buying power, especially when incomes are under pressure; saving 25%–60% on surplus items helps families stretch their grocery budgets without compromising on nutrition or quality.

• Most surplus arises not from "bad" food but from commercial realities: range refreshes, promotional overstocks, outer-box scuffs, or conservative best-before dates that signal peak quality, not immediate spoilage.​

• The result is a silent tax on households—paying more than necessary for everyday staples while edible food is side-lined due to non-safety reasons.

R4 million saved: how we calculated it

Across six months, we aggregated price differences between standard retail shelf prices and Still Good prices across top-moving categories, then multiplied by units sold to estimate total customer savings. This method avoids inflating totals with one-off markdowns and focuses on true like-for-like comparisons.

• Core categories included pantry items, snacks, beverages, cereals, pet food, and household basics—items that drive weekly baskets and create consistent, measurable savings.

• Typical item-level savings ranged from 25% on essentials to over 60% on promotional surplus and short-dated stock still within safe consumption windows.

• The cumulative impact: approximately R4,000,000 returned to South African families in just half a year—money that stays in local communities and budgets.

What those savings mean for a family

Savings only matter if they change real life. Here's what that looks like in practice.

• A mid-sized household spending R3,500–R5,500 per month on groceries can save R800–R1,800 monthly by mixing surplus staples with planned-value top-ups.

• Parents report shifting "treats" from occasional to regular - yoghurts, breakfast cereals, lunchbox snacks—without increasing spend.

• Pet owners can comfortably maintain brand consistency on kibble and wet food by buying surplus runs or packaging-change batches at a meaningful discount.

Short anonymised testimonials

• "We didn't cut quality; we cut waste—our basket is better and costs less".

• "Date labels used to scare me; now I know how best-before works and how to store smarter".

• "Pet food is where we felt it most—varied branding, better price, no stress".

Environmental impact, explained simply

The financial win is obvious; the environmental win is the multiplier. Every unit of surplus eaten, not binned, reduces the downstream footprint of food production.​

• Waste prevention beats recycling or composting because it avoids the embedded emissions of farming, processing, packaging, and transport in the first place.

• Keeping edible food in circulation reduces landfill contributions and the methane emissions that follow; methane is a potent greenhouse gas, so preventing waste at source is one of the highest-impact actions available in the food system.

• Household-level tips—like freezing bread, batch-cooking short-dated meats, and storing fresh produce correctly—turn savings into sustainable habits.

Date labels: the biggest source of confusion

Most people conflate three different labels, leading to unnecessary binning and overspending. Knowing the difference protects both your wallet and your health.

• Best before: Quality guidance. After this date, taste or texture may gradually decline, but the product is generally safe if stored correctly and packaging is intact.​

• Sell by: Retail stock rotation note; not a safety date for consumers.​

• Use by: Safety guidance for highly perishable items; follow this strictly and store as directed.

Still Good's sourcing and quality process prioritises safe, edible products, with clear communication around label types, storage, and recommended consumption windows—so customers can buy confidently.

Food waste costs vs. Still Good savings

Food waste cost drivers

• Overproduction, forecasting errors, promotional cycles

• Packaging refreshes and cosmetic imperfections

• Conservative date-labelling and risk-averse returns ​

Still Good savings drivers

• Direct partnerships to capture surplus at source. ​

• Dynamic pricing to reflect true value and time-to-plate​

• Consumer education on storage, freezing, and meal planning ​

Outcome differences

• Waste path: margin loss, landfill burden, higher retail prices​

• Still Good path: lower basket cost, fewer emissions, more meals served

How the model benefits everyone

This is a win-win-win system when done right.

• For consumers: Lower prices on trusted products, better basket value, and confidence on safety and quality through transparent labelling and guidance.​

• For retailers and brands: Lower write-offs, improved ESG performance, and a reputational boost by ensuring good food feeds people—not bins.​

• For the environment: Less landfill waste and avoided emissions via prevention, the highest rung on the waste hierarchy.

Practical ways to maximise your savings

• Plan flexible meals: Anchor around surplus staples, then top up fresh items; flexibility unlocks the biggest basket savings.

• Store smart: Freeze bread and baked goods in portions; keep cereals and snacks sealed airtight; rotate pantry stock first-in, first-out.

• Cook once, eat twice: Batch-cook short-dated items; turn leftovers into wraps, salads, and bowls.​

• Track wins: Compare your usual basket cost against your Still Good basket to see monthly savings compound.

What's next for still good

The first six months proved the model; the next six are about scale. Expect broader regional store coverage and category coverage, faster replenishment, and more transparent on-site guidance about date labels, storage, and recipes. The mission remains constant: connect South Africans with nutritious food at reduced prices, cut the hidden costs of waste, and keep value where it matters—your home.