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Pick n Pay asap! has just made grocery shopping in South Africa a lot less effort. The retailer has announced Penny, the country’s first fully integrated AI-powered grocery shopping companion, marking the first time an SA grocery platform has moved from “search-and-scroll” to conversation-led shopping.

Launching to all customers from 6 July 2026 via the latest version of the Pick n Pay asap! app, Penny lets shoppers simply ask for what they need by voice, text, or even with a photo and she’ll instantly build their basket.

“On-demand delivery changed how people shop. AI is now changing how they order,” says Enrico Ferigolli, Retail Executive: Omnichannel at Pick n Pay. “We’re moving from search-and-scroll shopping to conversation-led shopping that makes buying groceries faster, smarter and far more intuitive. For years, the focus has been on faster delivery. The next disruption is removing the effort from shopping itself.”

How Penny works  

Powered by Google’s Gemini AI models, Penny is built around real South African shopping habits and understands multiple languages. Instead of navigating categories, customers can:

 •  Shop conversationally in any language

 •  Dictate shopping lists with voice notes  

 •  Upload photos of handwritten lists, recipes, or fridge contents for meal ideas

 •  Snap products they want to reorder

 •  Ask for recipes and add all ingredients to basket instantly

 •  Get substitutions, budgeting help and entertaining ideas

Penny also learns over time. Integrated with Smart Shopper, she can personalize recommendations based on past purchases, reload your usual weekly basket and suggest products based on brand, quantity and price preferences.

“We are now in the era of AI assistants, where AI is moving beyond simply answering questions to helping people get things done,” says Kabelo Makwane, Country Director for Google South Africa. “When these capabilities are built into products people already know and trust, they solve real everyday problems in a simple, intuitive way.”

What’s next  

The launch follows Pick n Pay’s replatforming of asap! last year, which the retailer says has accelerated its ability to roll out AI-powered features. “This is only the beginning of what AI can unlock for everyday grocery shopping, and Penny is the first step in that journey,” Ferigolli concludes.

Penny will be available to all Pick n Pay asap! customers from 6 July 2026. Update your app to start shopping with her.