Zulzi, South Africa's On-Demand Commerce Platform, Redefining Urban Retail

Zulzi, a South African on-demand delivery and e-commerce platform founded in 2013 by software engineer and entrepreneur Donald Valoyi, has redefined convenience in urban retail, enabling customers to get groceries, fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, and everyday essentials delivered in minutes.

The company evolved from an initial e-commerce service focused on book and electronics delivery into a full-service rapid commerce platform with its own network of dark stores and logistics infrastructure.

Zulzi’s technology lets users shop via a mobile app, receive hand-picked orders, and enjoy delivery—often in under 30 minutes—across major South African cities.

Zulzi’s value proposition lies in its blend of speed, technology, and convenience, meeting the needs of time-pressed consumers and retailers alike. The platform processes thousands of daily orders and maintains an extensive delivery network with hundreds of drivers, reducing delivery times to a fraction of traditional services.

In addition to serving end customers through its own brand, Zulzi has become a strategic tech partner to major retail players, most notably building and maintaining the original online infrastructure for Shoprite’s Checkers Sixty60 app, a market-leading rapid grocery delivery service in South Africa. This collaboration underscores Zulzi’s technical expertise and operational reach in on-demand logistics.

-Under Valoyi’s leadership, Zulzi has grown rapidly year-on-year, scaling its network of dark stores across Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Centurion, and supporting a diverse range of deliveries from groceries to prescriptions.

Zulzi’s success is evidenced by its strategic partnerships with retail giants like Shoprite and its reputation as a pioneer of on-demand commerce in South Africa, influencing how businesses and consumers engage with rapid logistics and instant retail solutions.