The most popular fast food chains in South Africa

Although down from 2022, fast food franchises continue to boom in South Africa, with KFC maintaining its position as the country’s preferred quick meal chain.

South Africans are spoilt for choice when it comes to purchasing a hot meal served almost instantaneously, with an estimated 5,983 fast food restaurants nationwide.

The sector is expected to have revenue reach R90 billion by 2026 as according to consumer insights and data science firm Eighty20, one out of every two adult South Africans – totaling 23.4 million people – purchased fast food in the past year.

As a result, the firm sought to find out who makes up South Africa’s top 10 most popular franchises.

Using MAPS data from a nationally representative survey of 20,000 people conducted by the Market Research Foundation, Eighty20 found that one pizza restaurant, five primarily beef-focused establishments and four chicken establishments make up the country’s top 10 most popular.

It is important to note that the data focuses on tracking customer numbers instead of revenue.

According to the report, the top 10 most popular fast food outlets in South Africa for 2024 are:

1. KFC;
2. Chicken Licken;
3. McDonald’s;
4. Debonairs;
5. Hungry Lion;
6. Burger King;
7. Spur;
8. Steers;
9. Nando’s;
10. Wimpy.

“Approximately 20 million [people] dined at a fast food outlet in the past month,” said Eighty20.

“Notably, 90% of these 20 million individuals chose to eat at one of the top 10 fast food outlets,” said Eighty20.

“Collectively, 16.3 million people have eaten from the top 5 fast food outlets (KFC, Chicken Licken, McDonald’s, Debonairs and Hungry Lion) in the past month, which is higher than the 16.2 million South Africans who voted in the recent election,” said Eighty20.

The top 10 fast food outlets showed some variability, with McDonald’s swapping to 3rd place with Debonairs in the most recent research. However overall, most have remained relatively consistent in their positioning.

“Despite the number who eat out remaining stable, all outlets in the top 10 except KFC, have lost customers,” said Andrew Fulton, Director at Eighty20.

The consumer data firm said that this is because fast food customer behaviour reflects economic trends over the past year. 

“Restaurants that gained customers according to MAPS include Pedro’s, Fish and Chip Co, Galito’s and Honcho’s [suggesting] that people are not eating out less but are opting for more affordable options,” added Fulton.

According to the research, the biggest factors influencing South Africans’ choice of food outlet are:

Primary Factors:

• Good Quality Food: Preferred by 7 million people.
• Good Value for Money: Valued by 5.4 million people.
• Generous Food Portions: Important to 4.8 million people.

Secondary Factors:

• Good Customer Service
• Convenient Location and Consistent Meal Experience

Notably, none of the top 10 fast food outlets are strongly associated with healthy meal options. For healthier choices, Kauai, Simply Asia, Woolworth’s Café, and Burger Rack showed the strongest correlations.

Chicken reigns supreme in South Africa

“Among restaurant brands, beef options dominate the top 10, but chicken still emerges as the clear winner in terms of the number of people served,” said Eighty20.

Beef-focused establishments attract 6.7 million customers monthly, while chicken outlets serve 15 million, with KFC alone attracting one in four South Africans in May 2024, more than the combined total of six other top outlets.

According to the report, over May 2024, KFC attracted over 11 million diners, but only 15% come back weekly, tying with Hungry Lion for the lowest repeat visit rate among the top 10 brands.

In contrast, 38% of Nando’s customers visit weekly or more. Despite the lower visit frequency, KFC still surpasses Nando’s total customer base by 500,000 weekly customers.

Recent research by Euromonitor International estimates that KFC holds approximately 25% of the fast food market by sales in the country.

Ordering habits

An analysis of fast food ordering habits reveals that 9 million people ordered deliveries (either directly from the restaurant or a delivery company) in the past year, with 1.4 million preferring delivery for their takeaways.

McDonald’s, Nando’s, Wimpy, and Burger King were seen as the top brands for delivery.

Spur, Nando’s, and McDonald’s are preferred for drive-throughs and app orders, while KFC, Hungry Lion, and Chicken Licken see more counter orders with immediate departure.

Steers and Debonairs are noted for counter orders with onsite dining.

MAPS data indicates that visits to KFC, Steers, and Hungry Lion often coincide with other shopping, while Debonairs, Burger King, and McDonald’s attract special visits. Nando’s and Spur customers favor delivery services.

Read: The men behind Nando’s – South Africa’s global peri-peri chicken empire