Uber Eats app Picture: Uber
A news Uber Eats report has revealed South Africa’s top eater placed 2 772 orders, spending R465,320 in 2025
Uber Eats released its 2025 South Africa Cravings Report on Thursday, which takes a South African look at what the country ate, ordered, loved and demanded this year.
From fried chicken reigning supreme in every single city, to record-breaking delivery stats, high-spending super-users, all-caps order notes, and love letters hidden in grocery deliveries, the report offers powerful insights into how convenience culture is shaping behaviour nationwide.
According to the report, South Africans did not simply order this year. They curated, choreographed and customised.
They left notes that read like diary entries, they elevated fried chicken to a national treasure, and they turned the comments box into a place for romance, precision, and the occasional stern reminder written entirely in capital letters.
Research from Uber’s 2023 Economic Impact Report shows that the Uber Eats app saved consumers more than 12.7 million hours by delivering meals and groceries directly to their door.
“Our annual Cravings Report shows just how vibrant, diverse and proudly South African our food culture is. Whether it’s late-night orders, high-value treats, heartfelt request notes or the fastest deliveries in the country, people are embracing convenience with personality,” says Ntsoaki Nsibanyoni Uber Eats General Manager for Sub Saharan Africa.
“We’re excited to keep delivering moments of joy – from everyday meals to unforgettable surprises.”
What South Africa craved cost
Fried Chicken
For the second year running, fried chicken refused to loosen its grip on the nation. It was the top searched item in the entire country and, impressively, the top search in every. Single. City.
No exceptions. Paired with pap, it became South Africa’s most-loved order of 2025, a combination so iconic it might as well be written into the constitution.
Malva pudding
Coming in at a very respectable second place, malva pudding held its ground once again, proving this nation takes dessert as seriously as dinner.
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Love, Actually: SA’s Version
Food continued to play a starring role in how South Africans show love, apologise, celebrate and impress.
Valentine’s week saw thousands of heartfelt orders sent to partners, parents, friends and secret admirers. Johannesburg and Pretoria led the charge, with Cape Town close behind.
Romantic gestures went far beyond chocolates. Curated grocery bundles, flowers, late-night snacks and full meal plans were delivered across cities, often accompanied by messages that read like love letters.
One eater submitted a birthday lunch order with a note so poetic the courier reportedly smiled the entire way.
The full message: “Happy Birthday, my sweety. You are truly an absolute star lighting up my world. Your beauty takes my breath away every single day, and not a moment passes without me thinking of you. I miss you deeply, and my heart aches to be near you. I love you more than words could ever capture, and I hope this birthday is as unforgettable as you are to me—filled with all the joy, love, and magic you deserve. Here’s to you, the most incredible person in my life. I can’t wait until we’re together again. Forever yours.”
Rituals also flourished. One customer placed a standing weekly date-night order for the entire year. Another ordered “for two” more than 500 times. Love, consistency and convenience proved to be the perfect trio.
Dedication
Some people use Uber Eats. Others treat it like a daily ritual. And then there are the true elites whose dedication belongs in a hall of fame.
1,245 South Africans placed 365 or more orders this year. That at least an order a day, every day.
South Africa’s top eater placed 2,772 orders, spending R465,320 in 2025 alone. That is commitment, convenience and possibly a very well-fed household.
One restaurant received 419 orders from a single loyal fan.
The top most expensive orders
A single order of tequila – R17 773.24. The tequila for champions.
An order of tequila and 2 bottles of whiskey for R17,668.51 (because clearly one premium whiskey simply won’t do).
On the flip side, this year’s Uber One champion saved over R20,000 this year, with more than R18,000 saved on Uber Eats orders alone.
Delivery Heros
The busiest delivery person completed 8,250 trips and travelled 48,940 km. That’s roughly the distance from Johannesburg to Cairo and back.
Another clocked 49,893 km across 6,349 trips. Fastest delivery? A chilly 48-second drop-off for a peach rooibos iced tea.
City flavours
Cape Town ordered so late, so often, it recorded more than double the late-night orders than the average South African city.
Durban claimed the title of the country’s vegan capital with 21 711 plant-based orders
Restaurant
And finally, one restaurant took the crown with a staggering 84 283 orders this year.
If queues existed on delivery apps, this one would wrap around the block, down the street, and possibly into the next suburb.
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