Sonke
Sonke is a South African tech startup that designs and operates IoT-enabled automated refill stations for FMCG products, primarily cooking oil, installed free-of-charge in Spar and Shoprite stores. It serves price-sensitive consumers with bulk savings and FMCG brands with custom dispensing hardware.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sonke does
Sonke is a South African technology startup founded in 2020 and headquartered in Johannesburg that designs, manufactures, and operates automated refill stations for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Its core product, the SunQueen cooking oil refill station, is an IoT-enabled dispensing machine with a 0.3m2 footprint and 99% fill accuracy that allows consumers to bring their own containers and purchase product at bulk prices with up to 50% savings. The hardware is paired with proprietary software providing live sales tracking, automated replenishment alerts, remote firmware updates, and POS integration.
The company operates a hybrid B2B and B2C model with three product tiers: (1) free retail placement of SunQueen units inside stores (with Sonke delivering oil and managing stock remotely) for major retailers such as Spar and Shoprite; (2) commissioned custom machines sold or rented to FMCG brands (SunQueen, Banga, Roil, Sunlight Liquid) with a live sales dashboard; and (3) bespoke custom projects covering exports and new refill concepts. Revenue is generated through per-litre product margins on oil and consumer goods, hardware sales, and recurring machine rental.
Sonke positions its offering around two interlocking value propositions: addressing the 'poverty tax' on South African low-income consumers who pay premium prices for small pack sizes, and eliminating single-use plastic packaging. Reported impact metrics include R1.3 million in cumulative shopper savings and 1.5 million pieces of packaging diverted from landfill. The company is privately held, operates only in South Africa, and has 1-10 employees with no disclosed funding rounds.
Sonke firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sonke
- Legal name
- Sonke
- Website
- https://sonke.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sonke is a South African tech startup that designs and operates IoT-enabled automated refill stations for FMCG products, primarily cooking oil, installed free-of-charge in Spar and Shoprite stores. It serves price-sensitive consumers with bulk savings and FMCG brands with custom dispensing hardware.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sonke industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automated Refill Station Hardware
- NAICS
- Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310), Vending Machine Operators (445132)
- SIC
- Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Unattended & Self-Service Payments (Kiosks, Vending, Parking, EV Charging) (FSAMADAE)
Keywords
Where Sonke is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
Sonke business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Oil and Consumer Goods Sales: Sonke sells cooking oil and other liquid FMCG products through their SunQueen refill stations installed in retail stores. The company buys products in bulk, dispenses through machines, and sells to consumers at bulk pricing.
- Machine Sales: Sonke manufactures and sells custom refill machines to FMCG brands. Brands can commission machines for their own products with machine sales as a one-time revenue stream.
- Machine Rental: Sonke offers machine rental options to brands as part of a turn-key solution, providing ongoing rental revenue.
- Retailer Partnerships: Stores buy oil from Sonke, Sonke delivers oil to stores and monitors stock remotely. Revenue comes from product sales to retailers and consumer transactions at refill stations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Retail Placement - Free Machine Installation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Machine Commission - Sales Option |
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom Machine Commission - Rental Option |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Sonke product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sonke designs, manufactures, and manages IoT-enabled automated refill stations for FMCG products, with the SunQueen cooking oil refill station as its flagship offering. The machines are installed in partner retail stores (Spar, Shoprite) where consumers can refill their own containers at bulk prices, eliminating single-use packaging and offering up to 50% savings. The company also commissions custom machines for FMCG brands on either a sales or rental basis.
Product overview
Sonke is a South African tech startup offering a unified platform of automated refill stations for FMCG products. The core product is the SunQueen Cooking Oil Refill Station, an IoT-enabled machine that allows consumers to refill containers at bulk prices with up to 50% savings. Sonke provides three service tiers: Retail Placements (free SunQueen unit installation with stock monitoring), Commission a Machine (sales/rental for branded stations with live dashboard), and Custom Projects (bespoke development for new refill concepts). The offering combines proprietary hardware (99% fill accuracy, 0.3m2 footprint, POS integration) with in-house South African software enabling live sales tracking, automated replenishment, and remote firmware updates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SunQueen: Cooking oil refill stations - retail and QSRI innovation that provides affordable cooking oil to communities while eliminating single-use plastic packaging.
Products and services
- SunQueen Automated Refill Station
- Retail Placement Service
- Machine Commissioning Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% cost savings for consumers
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Sonke
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sonke technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sonke partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SunQueencoreSunQueen is Sonke's primary brand partner for cooking oil refill stations. The SunQueen brand represents the core product offering - automated cooking oil refill stations positioned as 'The Heart of Every Kitchen'.
- BangacoreBanga is a FMCG brand partner of Sonke, with their products distributed through Sonke's refill station network.
- RoilcoreRoil is a FMCG brand partner of Sonke, with their products distributed through Sonke's refill station network.
- Sunlight LiquidcoreSunlight Liquid is a FMCG brand partner of Sonke, with their products distributed through Sonke's refill station network.
- SparcoreSpar is a major South African retail chain partner that has installed SunQueen refill stations in their stores. Part of Sonke's core retailer distribution network.
- ShopritecoreShoprite is a major South African retail chain partner that has installed SunQueen refill stations in their stores. Part of Sonke's core retailer distribution network.
- NPO PartnersminorSonke has partnered with multiple non-profit organisations as shown in their logo section on the Our Partners page. Specific NPO names are displayed as logos but not clearly readable in text.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sonke competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Algramo: Chile-founded company operating IoT-enabled automated refill stations in retail stores for FMCG products (cleaning, personal care, food). Closest direct comparable to Sonke's automated retail refill model, with a similar product-led GTM and brand-partner model.
- Loop (TerraCycle): Reusable packaging platform partnering with major FMCG brands (Unilever, P&G, Nestlé) and retailers (Walmart, Kroger, Tesco) to enable refill at scale. Comparable mission of eliminating single-use packaging through retailer-integrated refill infrastructure.
- MIWA: Czech startup building smart, modular refill stations deployed in retail and food-service environments with IoT inventory tracking. Direct comparable on the technology stack (automated refill hardware + live monitoring) that Sonke uses.
Regional players
- Precycle: US zero-waste retail store offering bulk and refill of pantry and household liquids. Comparable consumer proposition (refill, less packaging) but operates as a storefront in a single geography rather than as a retailer-deployed hardware platform.
- Zero (bulk refill retail chains): Australia-based specialty refill store chain dispensing household liquids and dry goods into customer containers. Comparable consumer-facing refill experience, but operates owned storefronts rather than deploying hardware into third-party retail chains.
Broad incumbents
- The Body Shop: Global retailer with an established in-store refill program for personal care products across its owned store network. Operates in the same refill-in-retail category but as a brand-owned initiative rather than a third-party platform.
- SodaStream: Established home carbonation brand enabling consumers to refill reusable bottles, addressing the same 'bulk pricing / less packaging' value proposition Sonke targets, but for carbonated water at the household level.
- L'Occitane en Provence: Global beauty brand with a long-running bottle refill program across its own stores. Comparable end-customer behavior (refill of liquids in retail) but executes refill in-house rather than through a hardware platform.
Emerging players
- Plaine Products: US-based refill-on-subscription personal care brand using reusable containers and return-refill logistics. Comparable reuse/refill thesis in FMCG but execution is shipping-based rather than in-store automated dispensing.
- Wayout World: Swedish startup deploying smart micro-water factories (IoT-enabled purification and bottling/refilling) into retail and hospitality. Comparable IoT retail refill technology stack for liquids, though focused on water rather than FMCG oils.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sonke social profiles
Digital presenceSonke financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sonke leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sonke funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sonke M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sonke
What does Sonke do?
Sonke designs, manufactures, and manages IoT-enabled automated refill stations for FMCG products, with the SunQueen cooking oil refill station as its flagship offering. The machines are installed in partner retail stores (Spar, Shoprite) where consumers can refill their own containers at bulk prices, eliminating single-use packaging and offering up to 50% savings. The company also commissions custom machines for FMCG brands on either a sales or rental basis.
Is Sonke a public or private company?
Sonke is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sonke founded?
Sonke was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sonke based?
Sonke is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Sonke make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Oil and Consumer Goods Sales are the primary driver. The others are machine Sales, machine Rental and retailer Partnerships.
Who are Sonke's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Algramo, Loop (TerraCycle) and MIWA. Regional players are Precycle and Zero (bulk refill retail chains). Broad incumbents are The Body Shop, SodaStream and L'Occitane en Provence. Emerging players are Plaine Products and Wayout World.
Does Sonke have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sonke.
What industry is Sonke in?
Sonke's product category is Automated Refill Station Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAOAF, Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid), with a secondary code of EUAIANAE, Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops). Its NAICS code is 333310 and its SIC code is 3590.