Business

The two companies that own 22 of South Africa’s most popular restaurant and fast food brands

Jonathan Hoyle

 ·30 Aug 2026

Famous Brands and the Spur Corporation control a significant number of South Africa’s restaurants, with 22 franchises between them.

Spur started in 1967 in Cape Town as a single restaurant, then adopted a franchise model and eventually listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 1986.

The Spur restaurant is the main franchise of the Spur Corporation, with approximately 320 outlets operating in South Africa.

While this is the company’s main focus, it also operates notable brands such as John Dory’s, with 44 of these stores in South Africa.

The Spur Corporation also has 93 Rocomamas franchises and 97 Panarottis restaurants, as well as several other brands.

In total, the Spur Corporation operates nine distinct restaurant franchises, each with its own focus and target market.

Some of the business’s restaurants, such as Casa Bella and Doppio Zero, aim to provide a high-end dining experience.

While these restaurants perform well for the group, Spur and Panarottis are the two largest earners for the company, which focus on providing a family environment.

In its interim results, Spur noted that consumers have been price-conscious in recent months, due to economic pressures.

“Consumers remain highly price-conscious due to persistent economic strain and the pressures of rising
costs of living while strained disposable income is impacting dining-out trends,” it said.

“Consumers reported choosing brands primarily based on affordability, healthier meals and brand trust.”

This would explain why the business is seeing greater success in its family-oriented stores compared to its higher-end offerings.

Franchises owned by Spur Corporation

Famous Brands

Famous Brands has one of the largest restaurant footprints in the country, operating several well-known franchises and many smaller chains.

The group is best known for owning Steers, Debonairs, and Fishaways, which are its largest earners and have the most stores.

These franchises form part of its “leading brands”, which also include Mugg n Bean, Wimpy, and Milky Lane.

The group also has its “signature brands”, which do not have a presence as large as its leading brands, but are still a large part of the business.

In total, Famous Brands operates 2,694 restaurants in South Africa and has a footprint across large parts of Africa and the UK.

Of its approximately 2,700 stores in South Africa, 2,576 are part of its leading brands, and this segment is also the best-performing.

In its 2026 financial results, the group reported spending patterns similar to those of Spur Corporation, noting that consumers were largely focused on value.

“Consumer behaviour remains highly value-driven, with increased price sensitivity and selective purchasing patterns,” Famous Brands said.

“Shoppers are actively seeking promotions and trading between brands based on value offerings. This includes limited-time offers, combos, bundles and attractive entry-level price points.”

Similar to Spur, Famous Brands has recently seen its strongest performance from brands that focus on affordability and broad appeal.

The group’s signature brands, which include franchises such as Mythos and Vovo Telo, are a far smaller segment of its business.

The company reported having 118 signature-brand restaurants at the end of the 2026 financial year, far fewer than those of its leading brands.

These restaurants also saw a slight decline in sales growth during the 2026 financial year, attributed to a shift in South Africans’ spending behaviour.

Famous Brands also operates two hospital coffee chains as part of its signature brands, Netcafé and Coffee Couture.

The group has said that these two brands have had strong performance in the past due to high foot traffic in the areas where they operate.

Famous Brands franchises

Photos of Spur Corporation restaurants

Photos of Famous Brands restaurants