Sanlam-FASA Awards for Excellence in Franchising - Winners

In his welcome address, Chairman of FASA, Mahesh Amarath expressed his confidence that franchising was playing a pivotal role in the economic development of not only South Africa but the whole of Africa. "There is no doubt that South Africa is the capital of franchising in Africa" said Mr Amarath, "and we continue to be pioneers in introducing economic empowerment, skills transfer and job creation through franchising to all corners of the continent."

He referred to the franchising boom that was currently being felt in the United States as a result of the downsizing of major corporations and the economic downturn - a phenomenon that happened ten years ago in 1992 shortly after the Gulf War and seems to be repeating itself with franchises reporting an increase of up to 48% in franchise applications. South Africa too experienced a franchising boom around 1994 and could also be in for increased interest in franchising as many people reconsider their skills and careers, while consumers search for the consistency and value of established franchise brands.

The finalists in the five categories are:

1. FRANCHISOR - LEADING DEVELOPER OF EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS

This category is a crucial one in the ongoing development of the emerging sector and it honours those franchisors who have gone out of their way to accommodate the emerging market thereby creating jobs and ensuring effective skills transfer. The finalists in this category are:

Butterfield Bread - the franchise that feeds the nation - is a leader in the empowerment of the emerging entrepreneur and through extensive backing from banks and national agencies grants more than 70% of all loans to black franchisees.

Glowgetters is one of the few franchises in the cleaning industry that holds genuine empowerment opportunities and continues to train entrepreneurs and staff to be successful in this expanding business sector.

Nizams - entrenched in the convenience retail sector for the past 45 years targets the mass market and offers excellent business opportunities for the emerging sector.

Skonkwane Rural Hardwares - is one of the first and only rural-based hardware and building supply franchises - started in Swaziland and fast spreading throughout South Africa offering franchise opportunities to entrepreneurs, skills transfer and job creation.

Uniglobe Travel - part of the largest travel franchise in the world, has entered the Southern African travel market with a strong empowerment plan to create opportunities for the emerging market to enter the travel industry.

THE WINNER: SKONKWANE RURAL HARDWARES

2. BRAND BUILDER OF THE YEAR

Franchising, more than any other business sector, relies heavily on solid and recognisable brands. This award salutes those franchisors who, through effective marketing, have built their brand into a very valuable asset and added value to their franchise concept. The finalists in this category are:

BP Express Shops - serves the needs of people from plush suburbs to city commuters to township and informal settlements. Their Top 8 Limited Soccer Ball Promotion focused on building brand awareness, pulling feet into their stores and being "top of mind".

Butterfield Bread - launched itself on television with their "Butterfield Taxi" campaign which made a clear statement of association with their primary consumer - the commuter market and the popular "taxi".

Scooters Pizza - continues to make an impact and they are nominated for their "World Pizza Tour 2002" campaign which incorporated new pizza flavours with a holiday prize.

Spec-Savers - is nominated for their "it's all about eyes and a lot more" campaign which offered various promotions and benefits to their customers.

Vodashop - took the Vodacom national television phenomenon "Idols" into their shops with a campaign that not only brought feet into their stores but gave the consumer real added value.

Wimpy - launched their "Sizzle" campaign with the "hand flip" and the "sizzle" song which reinforced their great burgers and good food.

THE WINNER: SCOOTERS PIZZA

3. NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

This category acknowledges the innovative entrepreneurship of newcomers and is often a good indicator of emerging trends in franchising.

Fontana Famous Roastery - a real urban legend in Johannesburg since they opened their famous original store in Highpoint, Hillbrow over 30 years ago, Fontana has turned their famous roast chicken experience into an exciting new franchise concept.

Scooters - zoomed onto the pizza franchise scene and continues to roar ahead with their great product, unmatched delivery service and funky image.

Skonkwane Rural Hardwares - is one of the most exciting new franchises catering to the mass market mostly in rural areas, offering them hardware and building supplies.

Uniglobe Travel - with its global affiliation offers genuine travel franchise opportunities with international operating and management systems and excellent training.

THE WINNER: FONTANA FAMOUS ROASTERY

4. FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR

The category Franchisee of the Year pays tribute to the hard working franchisees who make up the backbone of any franchise concept and who are ultimately the face of the franchise brand. The finalists are:

BP Express Shop - Blue Route, Cape Town. Fanus Steyn, BP's 100th franchisee, is a model franchisee who is a regular "top seller" store and whose shop is used for training.

Mochachos Chicken Village - Valley of the Waves, Sun City. Phillip Karafilakis succeeds in catering to a wide variety of people - from tourist groups to schoolchildren and has won several awards both from his franchisor and the hotel group.

Mugg & Bean - Canal Walk, Cape Town. The Van Wyk family run this busy restaurant successfully by going the extra mile and always putting their customers first.

Scooters Pizza - Potchefstroom. Tony de Lima and his wife Merces have been pioneers in co-branding their stores - successfully running a Scooters Pizza and Nando's next to each other.

Skonkwane Rural Hardwares - Piggs Peak, Swaziland. Jabulani Mabuza, after successfully managing a store, was give the opportunity to own his own outlet and is by far the most successful operator of all the Skonkwane franchisees.

Vodashop - Westgate. Nick Aliferis, already one of Vodacom's top franchisees, believes his success is due to a supportive staff team who are totally customer and service orientated.

Vodashop - George. Karen Mostert, a Vodashop franchisee for the past 8 years, is a multiple store owner who has made a success of her business by sticking to her values and having dogged determination.

THE WINNER: PHILIP KARAFILAKIS, MOCHACHOS CHICKEN VILLAGES, SUN CITY

5. FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR

By far the most prestigious award, the Franchisor of the Year Award honours the franchisor who has made a significant impact in the marketplace and who upholds ethical franchising principles. The finalists in this category are:

Butterfield Holdings. With their strong track record of empowerment, Butterfield's growth has been phenomenal and is as a result of their sound operational practices.

RE/MAX of Southern Africa. Part of an international group with a presence in 39 countries with over 70 000 agents in 4 000 offices worldwide, the Southern African arm of RE/MAX has enjoyed exponential growth since entering the real estate market in South Africa 8 years ago.

Spec-Savers. Showing consistent growth, Spec-Savers focuses on the growth and development of the franchise network with benefits to both the consumer and the franchisee.

Vodashop. As the recognised franchise arm of Vodacom, South Africa's leading cellular network, Vodashop offers a viable turn-key franchise opportunity to the widest spectrum of South African entrepreneurs.

Wimpy. Wimpy has been the fast food leader for 35 years and has remained a highly successful business formula boasting 348 stores around the country, growing from strength to strength and significantly elevating itself above its competitors.

Franchising globally has opened up opportunities in all sectors of the business community with franchises recognised worldwide as symbols of value, quality and consistency. South Africa leads the continent of Africa as having the most advanced and sophisticated franchise system - comparable to most first world countries - and through the Franchise Association of Southern Africa - will be spearheading franchise growth and promotion into the rest of Africa.

THE WINNER: WIMPY

Franchising globally has opened up opportunities in all sectors of the business community with franchises recognised worldwide as symbols of value, quality and consistency. South Africa leads the continent of Africa as having the most advanced and sophisticated franchise system - comparable to most first world countries - and through the Franchise Association of Southern Africa - will be spearheading franchise growth and promotion into the rest of Africa.