2024 Cravings Report: Here's what South Africans are ordering on Uber Eats

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South Africans are embracing the ease and efficiency of food and grocery delivery like never before. And behind every order lie the dedicated delivery drivers, ensuring that food and essentials reach customers swiftly.

Whether it’s a late-night meal, a last-minute ingredient, or a full grocery haul, customers are seizing the convenience at their fingertips offered by Uber Eats with vigor.

Here are some of the most interesting trends and unconventional eating habits uncovered by the report:

Fanatic About Food

• The Chicken Obsessed: South Africans can’t get enough of crispy chicken, making it the most searched item on the Uber Eats app, with pap as the ultimate sidekick.

• The Midnight Munchers: When the clock strikes midnight, South Africans are hungry! Johannesburg and Pretoria led the charge with 1.2 million late-night orders between 11pm and 3am.

• Fuelling the Work Hustle: Unsurprisingly, the most popular restaurants on Uber Eats can be found in the heart of Johannesburg’s thriving business hub, Sandton City — because who has time to cook when you’re getting things done?

• Vegan Vibes: Durban tops the country as the most vegan-friendly city, with 0.6% of all orders being plant-based. Meanwhile, Johannesburg and Pretoria collectively ordered the most vegan dishes.

• The High Roller: The most expensive order of the year? One Uber Eats user spent over R20,000 on a single order of expensive cognac. Because if there’s one thing South Africans know how to do, it’s treat themselves.

• Minding their p’s and q’s: Margate takes the crown as the friendliest city, with Johannesburg and Pretoria close behind. These cities love their “pleases” and “thank yous” in order requests.

The Super Users:

• The Ultimate Regular: One customer placed 2,378 orders in 2024. That’s more than six orders a day! They probably have their delivery driver on speed dial. Another user ordered on 364 days of the year. We’re guessing they skipped Christmas to give their driver a day off.

• The Savings Guru: One savvy user saved over R18,000 in 2024 on 779 orders with Uber One. That’s enough savings to fund a nice beach holiday!

• Table for Two: Someone ordered 706 meals for two in 2024. Whether it’s romance or just a really good friend, they’ve got the art of sharing food down to a science.

Delivery Legends:

• Delivery Dynamo: One courier traveled nearly 40,000 kilometers in 2024 — almost enough to circle the Earth! They also clocked 4,500 service hours and made 7,959 trips. If delivery driving were a marathon, they’d be an Olympic champion.

• Thick as Thieves: Another driver delivered 320 orders to the same customer in 2024. At this point, they’re probably exchanging holiday cards and birthday gifts.

Special Requesters

• A poet’s humble request: One user accompanied their Beef Brisket Ramen order with our favourite, and most creative, plea:
  “In the swirling mists of your ramen creation, I’ve a trifling, yet bold, culinary sensation. Dear chef, in your pot of wonders so vast, might I request, not one egg be cast, but three! Oh yes, three jolly eggs indeed, to accompany my noodles in their hour of need.” Move over, Shakespeare — this is food poetry at its finest.

• Chips? It’s crispy or nothing: South Africans are so passionate about their chips being crispy that one user declared “no garnish, no sauce, crispy chips!!!” in eight different orders. Talk about dedication!

“Our continued commitment to making it easy for you to get whatever you’re craving is reflected in the growing demand for food and grocery delivery. Meanwhile the insights from the Cravings Report provide a compelling look at our shared love for food, convenience and dining trends. From midnight snackers to guilty pleasures, we look forward to bringing even more delicious moments to the table for years to come,” says Cassie Jaganyi, head of communications at Uber Eats South Africa.