PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU BUY
At Best Before, we want you to shop with peace of mind:
Best-Before Date: Some items may be past this date, but they’re still safe and enjoyable. Flavour or texture may change slightly over time—it’s up to you to decide what suits your taste.
Use-By Date: Safety first. We never sell anything past its use-by date.
Free In-Store Collection
Skip delivery fees by collecting your order from any Best Before store location. Simply choose your preferred store at checkout, and we’ll have your order ready for pickup.
Nationwide Delivery & Store Collections
We now offer nationwide courier delivery, making it easier than ever to enjoy Best Before deals anywhere in South Africa.
Prefer to collect? Simply select “Collect from Store” at checkout and choose the store closest to you.
Collections and in-store transfers take up to 5 working days to prepare.
Once your order is ready, you’ll be notified to pick up your goods hassle-free.
A Note on Stock
Due to the nature of clearance retail, stock sells quickly and availability can change after you’ve placed an order. If something runs out, we’ll notify you and provide an alternative or solution right away.
Weekly Bargains & Special Deals
Every week brings new arrivals and unmissable clearance discounts. From pantry staples and snacks to personal care essentials, our shelves are always stocked with products at up to 70% off traditional retail prices.
Shipping Timelines
Standard Shipping: 2 – 5 working days
Collection: 5 working days
Public holidays excluded
If you are not at home at the time of delivery, our courier will attempt to contact you. A re-delivery fee may apply if a second trip is required.
Flexible Payment Options
Shopping smart has never been easier.
At checkout, you can pay with:
- All major debit & credit cards
- EFT / Instant EFT
- SnapScan
- Payfast
You can also split your purchase into interest-free, flexible payments with Payflex and Mobicred — making bulk buys and bigger deals even easier on your wallet.
Out-of-Stock Items & Refunds
In the event that an item you’ve ordered is out of stock, we’ll issue a refund directly to the card or payment method used.
Refunds typically take 3 – 10 working days to reflect, depending on your bank or payment provider.
Delivery Addresses & Suburbs
To ensure smooth delivery, please provide a complete and accurate street address including:
Suburb
Postal code
Contact number
⚠️ Important: Deliveries cannot be made to P.O. Boxes, farms, or remote areas not serviced by our courier partners. If your suburb is outside standard delivery zones, we will contact you to arrange an alternative or issue a refund.
If you are not at home at the time of delivery, our courier will attempt to contact you. A re-delivery fee may apply if a second trip is required.
Packages & Weight Limits
Orders may be split into multiple packages, depending on size and stock availability.
Parcels exceeding 17kg in weight or unusually large dimensions may attract additional courier charges. In such cases, we will contact you prior to shipping to confirm the cost or arrange an alternative option.
MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Before you buy
At Best Before, we want you to shop with peace of mind:
Best-Before Date: Some items may be past this date, but they’re still safe and enjoyable. Flavour or texture may change slightly over time—it’s up to you to decide what suits your taste.
Use-By Date: Safety first. We never sell anything past its use-by date.
Free In-Store Collection
Skip delivery fees by collecting your order from any Best Before store location. Simply choose your preferred store at checkout, and we’ll have your order ready for pickup.
Nationwide Delivery & Store Collections
We now offer nationwide courier delivery, making it easier than ever to enjoy Best Before deals anywhere in South Africa.
Prefer to collect? Simply select “Collect from Store” at checkout and choose the store closest to you.
Collections and in-store transfers take up to 5 working days to prepare.
Once your order is ready, you’ll be notified to pick up your goods hassle-free.
Please note:
Due to the nature of clearance retail, stock sells quickly and availability can change after you’ve placed an order.
If something runs out, we’ll notify you and provide an alternative or solution right away.
best before dates
Best before dates are an indicative guide of when the quality of food or drink will start to change. They are not to do with safety. Food that has passed its best before date is safe to eat.
Best before should be considered a rough guide rather than a strict rule. There is no reason to throw away food that goes past its best before date, it is perfectly safe to eat and will often taste just as good.
South Africa throws away millions of tons of food and drink every year; two million of this is thrown away by households and 670,000 of this is food that has been thrown out because food labels have been misinterpreted. The majority of this could have been consumed. If you want to reduce your food waste footprint, don’t throw out food just because it has passed its best before date!
Best Before date is a manufacturer’s guideline date which means it will retain its same taste, colour and texture that it was initially packaged with up until this date. This certainly does not imply that the quality of the contents will have deteriorated to such a degree that renders it unsafe to consume in any way within a few weeks after this date. On the contrary, the contents of the container or tin can remain perfectly safe to eat for long periods thereafter.
Best Before will refund any product bought in our stores should you not be satisfied with your purchase – all we ask is for you to retain your till receipt and we will refund you accordingly!
Some food for thought…In SA, there are 3 food labelling categories- Use By, Sell By and Best Before. One cannot compare the consequence of reaching the date printed on products that have a Use BY/Sell by date as opposed to a best before date.
Use By/Sell by are dates determined by the Heath Department and are directly linked to food safety. You should never buy anything past those dates.
Goods that have best before (BB) dates are completely different.
These dates are put on there by the manufacturer, not the Health Department and it’s all in the words BEST BEFORE. The manufacturers are saying the products will be at its best within those days, it does not mean that once the date is reached the goods are BAD AFTER. Not At all. Over time, the product will, of course, age. Some products will be good for years still whereas some will age quicker. For example, cans and pasta can be good for years after the date whereas, say , chips, will lose their crispness about 6 months after the date, a chocolate will begin whitening after time, a soda will lose its gas, a marshmallow may harden etc. That however is the key point. It is the flavour and texture that may change over time. It is why it is legal to sell past the date. Of course, if you see a tin that is rusted or swollen you shouldn’t buy it. The date printed is not a food safety indication, it is ONLY an indication of when the product is at its best. Another way of looking at it is ,if it was indeed dangerous to consume past the date, the words USE BY would then be printed instead of BEST BEFORE.
Please note that NOT all our stock is past its ‘best before’. 8. We have tons of stock that is currently dated and that is dated well in the future. The best part- if you are not 100% satisfied with anything you purchase from us, we will gladly refund you (as long as you have your till slip).
