Fast food franchising shows steady growth in South Africa

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With a contribution in access of 29%, QSR has by far the biggest share in franchising turnover. The franchising market is worth R587bn, which is approximately 13.3% of the South African Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Andre Beck, sector head: fast food and restaurants at FNB Business says, “Industry data shows that South Africa has seen more franchises opening fast food and restaurant outlets in spite of the floundering economy. This clearly paints a picture of a sector that is competitive and lucrative, and more importantly, it shows that the franchising has sustained appetite to grow further in the local economy.”

Five key trends

Beck shares five key trends in this sector:

Healthy food: Customers are mindful of what they consume more than before; they want to know which ingredients you have used to prepare their food. As a result, health-centric franchise brands are penetrating the market.

Speed of delivery: Using technology to effectively serve customers; more fast food franchises have made it possible for customers to use mobile apps and other digital tools to receive their orders quickly.

Free delivery: In this extremely busy environment, businesses have understood the power of bringing business to the customer’s doorstep step.

Month end peaks: A lot of consumers tend to visit food outlets during month ends to buy or eat with their families. This has become one of the most treasured habits for most families.

“Despite the intense competition for food franchising, this sector has exceptionally demonstrated that franchising remains one of the sectors that need to be thoroughly explored to grow the economy and create job opportunities. As a bank, we continue to support businesses in this sector and firmly believe in their potential to flourish,” concludes Beck.