New courier data from inDrive shows South Africans are using on-demand delivery services for a wide range of everyday needs. An analysis of roughly 5,000 inDrive. Courier orders placed in South Africa during the first half of 2026 found that cake was the most-requested food item carried by couriers. Cake appeared in 9.1% of all Food & Drink orders, a higher share than in any of the other eight countries included in the analysis.
Food & Drink is the biggest overall category in South Africa, accounting for 37.4% of classified orders. “Cake might seem like an unusual item to stand out in courier data, but it shows how people are using these services for very ordinary, personal needs,” says Ashif Black, country representative at inDrive South Africa.
“People might need a cake delivered for a celebration, a spare part collected for a car or a set of keys dropped off to someone who needs them. The range of items tells an interesting story about the role on-demand couriers are starting to play in people’s daily lives.”
From clothes to car parts
Beyond food, inDrive’s data shows Clothing & Shoes is the next biggest category at 17.1%. Auto, Tools & Hardware follows closely behind, accounting for 13.3% of classified orders. South Africa recorded the highest share of Auto, Tools & Hardware deliveries of the eight countries included in the analysis. Electronics accounted for 6.7% of local orders.
Smaller categories in the data include cosmetics, beauty and eyewear items, keys, and documents and papers, indicating the service is also used for practical errands rather than only conventional deliveries.
“What stands out is how specific some of these needs are,” says Black. “If you’ve left your keys somewhere, need a document to reach someone across town or have a part that needs to get to a workshop, the value of a courier is really about solving that immediate problem without having to make the journey yourself.”
Trust in courier services
A 2025 report by DHL found that 85% of South African online shoppers would not buy from a retailer if they did not trust the delivery provider.
“Having peace of mind that a courier item will safely reach the intended destination is important to South Africans using inDrive.Courier, which is why the service includes features designed to help users keep track of their items throughout the delivery,” says Black.
He adds that couriers undergo identity verification during registration, while users can review ratings and trip history before choosing a courier and follow their delivery in real time through live tracking, with a tracking link that can be shared with the recipient.
For added certainty at drop-off, senders can also opt for proof of delivery using a one-time password provided to the recipient, which must be entered before the courier can mark the delivery as complete.
“The latest data ultimately paints a varied picture of South African courier habits. Whether it’s cake, car parts and clothes or electronics, keys and documents moving between homes and businesses, we can agree that South Africans are increasingly using on-demand courier services to make light work of their everyday errands and tasks, and it’s nice to know people are able to get things done or even satisfy a sweet tooth quicker and more easily than ever before,” concludes Black.
inDrive.Courier is available across South Africa through the inDrive app.
