South African supermarket groups do not publish individual store telephone numbers in a central list. Some stores are company-owned and some are independently owned franchises, but in either case a store’s number is published locally if at all. This page explains who to contact for what, and the consumer rights that most often decide a dispute at a till.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not a retailer and cannot check stock, process a refund or honour a price. Everything here is a routing aid.
Store, group or ombud
- The store handles anything physical and immediate: stock, a price on a shelf, a refund, a faulty item, a complaint about service. Ask for the store manager by name and get it in writing where money is involved.
- Every SPAR store is independently owned. SPAR is a voluntary trading group, not a chain of company-owned stores, which is why the group cannot resolve a store-level dispute directly and why store policies vary between branches of the same brand.
- Group customer care is the escalation when a store does not resolve something. It can press a store and, for company-owned stores, direct it.
- The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud takes unresolved consumer complaints free of charge, once the retailer’s own process has been used and a reference obtained.
- The National Consumer Commission is the statutory authority for matters outside an ombud scheme’s remit.
Verified group routes
Verified on each group’s own site on 21 August 2026. These are national and regional routes; individual store numbers are not centrally published.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| SPAR national customer care | 0860 313 141 |
| SPAR KwaZulu-Natal region | 031 719 1900 |
| SPAR Eastern Cape region | 041 404 5000 |
| SPAR Lowveld region | 013 753 6800 |
| Boxer customer care email | [email protected] |
| Consumer Goods and Services Ombud | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| National Consumer Commission | 012 065 1940 |
The consumer rights that decide most disputes
- A displayed price generally binds the retailer. Under the Consumer Protection Act a supplier must not charge more than the displayed price, and where two prices are displayed the lower applies. There is a narrow exception for an obvious error that a reasonable person would notice, and the retailer must correct it and give notice.
- You have six months to return a defective product for a repair, replacement or refund, and the choice between those is yours, not the retailer’s. This is the right most often misstated at a returns counter.
- A ‘no refunds’ sign does not override the Act. A retailer cannot contract out of the CPA.
- Change of mind is different. There is no general right to return something simply because you no longer want it, and a retailer that allows it is offering a policy rather than meeting an obligation.
- Expired goods on a shelf should be reported to the store manager, and to the municipality’s environmental health department if the store does not act.
Complaining effectively
- Raise it at the store with the manager, and get a reference or the manager’s name in writing.
- Keep the till slip. Almost every retail remedy depends on proof of purchase, and a bank statement is a weaker substitute.
- Photograph the shelf price, the product and any defect at the time. Evidence gathered later is much harder.
- Escalate to group customer care with the store name, the date and what was said.
- Take it to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud if it stays unresolved. It is free and it will ask for the retailer’s reference number.
The scams that use retailer names
Fake voucher, competition and ‘anniversary giveaway’ messages using supermarket brands are among the most forwarded scams in South Africa. They spread through WhatsApp precisely because they look like they came from someone you know.
- No retailer runs a competition that requires you to forward a message to win.
- No legitimate voucher requires your banking details, your card number or a one time PIN to claim.
- Check any promotion on the retailer’s own website or official social media account, reached by typing the address yourself.
- Be wary of ‘store closing, everything must go’ pages advertising deep discounts and asking for EFT payment. Pay in store or by a method you can dispute.
Related contact pages
- Retail contact pages
- Complaints and escalation contact pages
- How fake customer care numbers work
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
Frequently asked questions
Is there a number for my local supermarket?
Not in a central list. Groups do not publish individual store numbers, and many stores are independently owned. Ask in store, or use the group’s national customer care route.
Are SPAR stores owned by SPAR?
No. SPAR is a voluntary trading group and each store is independently owned, which is why policies and prices vary between branches and why the group cannot simply direct a store.
Must a shop honour a wrongly displayed price?
Generally yes. Under the Consumer Protection Act a supplier must not charge more than the displayed price, and the lower of two displayed prices applies. A narrow exception exists for an obvious error, which the retailer must correct and give notice of.
Can a shop refuse a refund on a faulty item?
Not within six months of purchase. You may choose a repair, replacement or refund, and the choice is yours. A ‘no refunds’ sign does not override the Act.
Do I have to accept a credit note?
For a defective product within six months, no. For a change of mind, the retailer’s own policy applies and a credit note may be all that is offered.
Where do I report expired food?
To the store manager first, and to the municipality’s environmental health department if the store does not act.
Routes on this page were checked against official sources on 21 August 2026.