KFC opens 800th SA restaurant

What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note

Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser

KFC has opened its 800th restaurant in Musina, Limpopo, and now has more than one-third of market share in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) category in South Africa...

"Value and choice are our drivers for our customer experience," said Doug Smart, MD of KFC Africa. "Opening our 800th restaurant in South Africa extends the reach of the brand, but the key for us remains the maintenance of our high standards and consistent quality offering. We serve more than 20 million customers a month and we work hard to ensure that no matter which of our 800 restaurants they walk into, they will get that distinctive KFC flavour and have a great experience."

Smart attributes the brand's success in South Africa to his team's ability to cater to its complex and diverse market. Born in Cape Town and raised in Joburg, Smart has more than 25 years FMCG experience.

"KFC doesn't apply a 'one size fits all' approach," he said. "KFC as a brand is more relevant than ever before, because of our relentless customer-centric focus. As customers become more curious and as their needs and expectations change, it becomes all the more challenging for brands to stay relevant and loved - so we continue to launch exciting innovations for new occasions."

"We celebrate the opening of our 800th South African restaurant, but it's also something that we want to use to drive us on to bigger and better things," said Smart. "The trust of our customers has enabled us to spread the brand's reach into so many corners of the country - and we will continue to work as hard as we can to show how much we value that trust. Quality, innovation, freshness - and the Colonel's original blend of 11 herbs and spices - will remain the hallmarks of KFC as we look to share even more milestone moments with our customers."