A display fridge has two jobs: keep stock cold and help it sell. Glass doors, shelves and good lighting put drinks, dairy, meat and cakes in front of customers, while the cooling system copes with doors opening all day. Spaza shops, cafes, butcheries, bakeries and bottle stores all rely on them. Whether you want a new single door cooler, a double door unit, a curved glass meat counter or a second hand display fridge for sale, tell us what you need. Suppliers near you quote directly, free and with no obligation.
Types of display fridge
Pick the type that matches what you sell:
- Single and double glass-door uprights for cold drinks and dairy.
- Meat display fridges and serve-over counters for butcheries, set colder and with less airflow over the meat.
- Cake display fridges with glass on all sides and gentle cooling that does not dry out cream.
- Open-front multidecks for supermarkets, often with night blinds.
- Glass-top chest freezers for ice cream and frozen goods.
Prices, new and used
Supplier prices put a new single door display fridge at about R11,700 to R20,300 and a double door at about R13,000 to R26,600, depending on the size and model. Used display fridges for sale go for about R5,000 to R10,500. Meat and cake displays and multidecks are quoted per unit. Delivery, installation and removal of an old unit may be extra, so ask.
Buying second hand
A used display fridge can be a good buy if it works properly under load. Ask the seller to run it for a day before you collect, and check it with a thermometer in a glass of water: it should hold about 3 to 5 °C. Listen for a compressor that clicks on and off quickly. Check the door seals, hinges, self-closing springs, lights and the condenser coils. Rust on the base and cracked glass are costly. If in doubt, a refrigeration technician can check it for you before you pay.
Placing it and keeping it running
Give the unit space for air to flow around the condenser and keep it out of direct sun from a window or door. Clean the condenser every few months, more often near a kitchen or a dusty road. Do not block the air vents inside with stock. Keep receipts and the model number handy so a technician can find parts when needed; see refrigeration repairs and commercial refrigeration for service.
What to include in your request
- Type: drinks, meat, cake or multideck
- Single or double door, and width available
- New or used, and your budget
- Where it will stand: sun, heat and plug point
- Delivery, installation and old unit removal
Display Fridges for different clients
- Households: a glass-door drinks fridge for an entertainment area or a home tuck shop
- Landlords, guest houses and B&Bs: a bar fridge with a glass door for a guest lounge or lodge bar
- Shops, cafes and supermarkets: single and double door coolers for spaza shops, cafes and bottle stores
- Restaurants, butcheries and caterers: meat counters for butcheries and cake fridges for bakeries and coffee shops
- Farms, packhouses and dairies: a cooler for a farm stall selling milk, eggs, meat and fresh produce
- Factories and cold stores: coolers for factory canteens and staff tuck shops
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: drinks and food coolers for school tuck shops and hospital cafeterias
- Technicians and repairers: units for refrigeration dealers and technicians to refurbish and resell
Frequently asked questions
How much is a display fridge in South Africa?
Is a second hand display fridge worth buying?
What is the difference between a meat display fridge and a drinks cooler?
Can I get quotes for several display fridges at once?
Display Fridges by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg