Woolworths South Africa is bringing artificial intelligence to the kitchen with the launch of My Woolies Chef, a digital assistant designed to help customers plan meals, discover recipes and shop for groceries more easily.

The retailer said the AI-powered feature is built into the Woolworths app and will allow customers to ask everyday cooking questions in natural language instead of browsing through recipes or product categories.

The launch reflects a growing push by retailers to use generative AI to improve online shopping and offer more personalized services.

Woolworths said its platform is designed specifically for South African customers and is based on its own food content rather than a general AI model.

My Woolies Chef will first be available to a select group of MyDifference loyalty members from September 2026 as part of a beta program.

The retailer plans to make the service available to more customers in early 2027 after reviewing feedback from the initial rollout.

AI built around local recipes and shopping

The assistant draws on more than 20 years of Woolworths TASTE recipes to answer questions about meal ideas, ingredients and cooking preferences.

Customers can ask for quick family dinners, vegetarian meals, lunchbox ideas or recipes based on ingredients they already have at home.

Unlike a standard search tool, the platform is designed to understand the context of a customer’s request and provide suggestions using locally available ingredients and seasonal products.

Woolworths said the goal is to make meal planning easier while helping customers make better use of food already in their kitchens.

From meal ideas to grocery delivery

Once a customer selects a recipe, the ingredients can be added directly to a Woolies DASH shopping basket.

Shoppers can also remove items they already have before placing an order, making the process faster and reducing unnecessary purchases.

“Conversational AI allows customers to engage with Woolworths’ food content and digital shopping experience in a more intuitive way,” Woolworths Group Data and AI Officer Jose Rodrigues said.

He said customers can simply describe what they need in everyday language and receive recipe suggestions that match their request, rather than carrying out several separate searches.

Company expands practical use of AI

Rodrigues said Woolworths will use the beta phase to study how customers use the platform, improve recommendation quality and refine the experience before a broader launch.

He added that customer feedback will help shape future features, including more personalized meal planning, smarter shopping lists and budget-focused recommendations.

Woolworths Holdings is one of South Africa’s largest retailers, operating food, fashion, beauty and home businesses across Africa and Australia through Country Road Group.

The company has continued to invest in digital services, e-commerce and data-driven technology as it works to improve the shopping experience across its stores and online platforms.