Uber Eats now offers medicine deliveries in SA

With various convenience goods already sold by Medicare via the Uber Eats marketplace, the extended partnership will allow users to add over-the-counter schedule 1 and 2 medication - like Genpayne, ACC200 or Corenza C - directly into their basket for convenient delivery.

The move increases access to medication to those who need it most, without the risk that comes with leaving the safety of their homes.

“We strongly believe in reinventing pharmacy, and thanks to this partnership with Uber Eats this is made possible. Getting the medication South Africans need, when they need it, without the risk of leaving their home is just the beginning as we continue to explore how best we can bring access, convenience and reliability in our everyday needs.” says Tim Knapp, CEO at Medicare.

This partnership requires no physical contact with an attending pharmacist, however, should a user need further assistance with the available medication, a pharmacist is a telephone call away. Before any order is prepped and dispatched, the user will need to provide personal details including their full name, address and contact number as required by law. Upon delivery, the individual accepting the medication will need to provide a form of identification.

The partnership will utilise Medicare’s network of pharmacies across Johannesburg and Cape Town, to fulfil the orders. The visible locations will appear inside the Uber Eats app behind the pharmacy banner, or accessible by searching for “Medicare”.

Food for thought: the global rise of dark kitchens and stores

Rael Levitt  18 Sep 2020

Expanding beyond food deliveries

“Seeing how quickly locals adopted an online platform allowed us the opportunity to significantly scale our offerings to cater for more than just food, moving to just about anything that one might need to live comfortably at home,” says Shane Austin, general manager of Uber Eats in sub-Saharan Africa.

Several new categories outside of just food delivery are now available in the newly launched easy-to-find shortcuts, including cuisines and new merchants. Shortcuts give users instant access to their favourite cuisines and new merchants like grocery stores, butchers, retailers like Game and Exclusive Books, pet supply stores such as Absolute Pets, and more.

With more at-home deliveries for everyday essentials, Uber Eats emphasised its efforts in growing the number and diversity of grocery, retail and convenience merchants available via the app.

The Covid-driven surge in online grocery shopping

Ross Jenvey  22 Sep 2020

During October, Uber Eats says it will continue to roll out new and enhanced app features, including updated tailored recommendations.

Austin explains, “The more you order, the more tailored our recommendations, so you’ll spend less time choosing and more time eating. When you’re looking to discover a new favourite, you’ll see curated picks for you, like Hidden Gems in your neighbourhood, and Family Favourites with food bundles to feed the entire crew.”

Group ordering is also set to be inaugurated later this month, which will allow users to order from multiple restaurants in one single order.