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With refreshi you can save food from the restaurants, cafes and stores that are on the app. Instead of having to throw away food at the end of the day, these places offer what they have in surprise bags. The actual contents will be a surprise until you get there! Find a meal near you, purchase it through the app and turn up in the store within the given collection time. Show the staff your order to receive your Surprise Bag – and give them a high-five to celebrate that you just made a difference together. 1/3 of food is wasted so you are doing a great thing and hopefully having a bit of fun whilst you do it.
Surprise Bags automatically appear on the Refreshi app 24 hours before a store’s collection window opens.
For example, if a store’s collection time is on Tuesday from 16:00 to 17:00, the bags will become available on the app on Monday at 16:00.
Bags are currently selling out quickly! We’re working hard to bring more stores onto the platform, with new partners joining every week
Sometimes, a store may cancel your order. And while we know this can be disappointing, it’s actually for a good reason! These cancellations happen when the store ends the day with no surplus food to pack, which means everything was sold and nothing went to waste. That’s a win for the environment and the store.
In this case, you’ll receive a full refund automatically, and it will reflect in your account within 24 to 72 hours depending on your bank’s processing times.
If you don’t see your refund after 72 hours, feel free to contact us and we’ll gladly help.
We hear you and we’re working on it!
Right now, Refreshi is helping save surplus food in Stellenbosch and Cape Town. We’re expanding to Johannesburg by June, and our goal is to reach all major cities in South Africa by the end of the year.
Our mission is to fight food waste and make sure every extra meal goes to someone who wants it. Thank you for being part of that vision!
Stores plan their supply according to demand, and they know they need to have enough food so as not to run out. This does mean that there´s usually surplus at the end of the day, and they can predict how much. If they get this wrong, then the number of Surprise Bags can be adjusted. So if they have less than predicted it´s possible that your order can be cancelled.
Stores can´t predict exactly what kind of food they will have left at the end of the day. Instead of throwing away perfectly good food, these places offer whatever they may have in Surprise Bags. It´s always a surprise!
The Surprise Bags you buy on refreshi are a surprise, which means that we can´t offer upfront information about allergens. If you have allergies, please ask the store when you collect your meal. Should the bag include food you are allergic to, please get in touch with us.
Data labels can cause a lot of unnecessary food waste. It pays to know that the “best before” labels are indicators of optimum quality, not safety. That means if the date has passed but the food looks, smells, and tastes fine, then it´s good to eat. Food labelled with a “use by” date has to be eaten by the date indicated.
We are working on it. We want to fight surplus food everywhere so please check back at a later time. You are also very welcome to tell stores in your area about refreshi and encourage them to join us. Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram for updates on new store and city openings.
Yes, please take your phone when collecting your order. In the store you will need to swipe your order and show it to the staff, who will then hand over your Surprise Bag.
You can save your payment card while making a purchase in the app. The payment card can then be used for following purchases.
Most of our stores have more favourites than meals available per day. So sending everyone a notification when they have something for sale would results in many people not being able to save a meal before they are sold out and most likely being disappointed.
No, all purchases need to be made through the app. This makes the process a lot easier and the collection quicker.
If you no longer want to participate in our mission to prevent food waste, you can easily delete your Account by going to your Profile.
We always strive to answer questions as fast as possible and will respond via email to the address connected to your refreshi account. Please check your spam filter as our answer could have gone astray and ended up there.
We’re currently experiencing some payment issues with specific phone and bank combinations — particularly with Capitec cards. If your payment didn’t go through, we recommend trying again using a different bank card if you have one available.
Our team is actively working on a solution. We’re really sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we sort this out.
If you’re still having trouble, feel free to reach out to, we’re happy to help.
refreshi orders have to be collected within the specified time frame shown in the app. If you arrived during this time frame and the store was closed then please contact us.
You can cancel up to 2 hours before the start of your collection time by going to your order. This ensures that the food can be saved by someone else.
We understand things don’t always go to plan! However, Surprise Bags must be collected within the collection window shown in the app — usually the last 30–60 minutes before the store closes.
Stores unfortunately can’t hold onto bags after hours because:
Staff need to close up and head home
The items are meant for same-day collection only
There’s no storage space for uncollected bags
We send a reminder 60 minutes before collection starts, and you can cancel up to 2 hours before if your plans change.
We hope to see you again soon — every bag collected helps prevent good food from going to waste.
Please check your order list in the app, this is where you can always find all your order details. If something went wrong due to technical issues, and the amount was reserved by your bank, then it will be released but can take up to 10 business days.
We are sorry to hear you had a bad experience. The food you save with refreshi is what the store has left at the end of the day, so it is always a surprise. If you have received food that has gone bad, did not meet the expected value or had another unfortunate experience with your order, please contact us.
If you have had an allergic reaction, have become ill after consuming a product you have received, or wish to report an imminent hygiene problem in the store, please contact us.
If you arrived within the collection time and the store had no food left for you, please contact us
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