Famous Brands to Open Kenya Outlets in Six Months and Negotiate Ghana Franchise

Famous Brands plans to open several outlets in Kenya over the next six months and is negotiating a franchise agreement in Ghana, CEO Darren Hele said. The restaurant group operates more than 3,070 restaurants across 21 markets and expects to open about 80 new restaurants in the second half of its financial year, BusinessLIVE reported.

Hele Sets Out Kenya and Ghana Plans

Hele said Kenya was the market outside South Africa that excited the group most, while discussions in Ghana were progressing. "We are already trading in Kenya, but we definitely see the growth opportunity there," he said in an interview following the group's interim results. Famous Brands already operates Steers, Debonairs Pizza and Mugg & Bean in Kenya, but Hele said the group's footprint remained relatively small and offered significant room for expansion. "We will be opening quite a number of stores over the next six months," he said.

The group is also negotiating a licence agreement in Ghana that could provide an entry point into one of West Africa's largest consumer markets. "We are in the throes of negotiating a licence agreement," Hele said, adding that the company was not yet ready to disclose further details. Outside its Southern African base, the company also sees opportunities elsewhere in East Africa and is monitoring developments in Sudan after reopening a restaurant there. It recently opened a second Steers and second Debonairs Pizza outlet in Malaysia through its licensing model.

Hele said consumers remained under pressure from elevated fuel costs and broader affordability challenges, conditions he expects to persist for at least the next six months. "The consumer isn't going to get any more money from somewhere else," he said. The company is also investing in drive-through formats and digital capabilities, including its Munch technology platform, which is designed to improve ordering, payments and customer engagement while simplifying operations for franchisees.

Signature Brands Loss Narrows to R9m

Management continues to grapple with challenges closer to home, particularly within its Signature Brands division. The portfolio has eight niche brands, including Mythos, Salsa Mexican Grill, Turn 'n Tender, Vovo Telo and Paul, and remains the group's weakest-performing segment. According to Hele, the challenges are concentrated largely in the Paul restaurant chain, rather than across the entire portfolio. He described Vovo Telo and other brands in the division as solid operations, while acknowledging that Paul continues to weigh on performance. The challenge is compounded by the fact that Paul operates under an international licensing agreement and cannot simply be converted to a franchise model. "It's company stores, and it's a luxury brand," Hele said. The revenue of Signature Brands decreased by 8.4% to R95m, while the operating loss was R9m.

Malaysia Licence and Nigeria Stake

Famous Brands signed a master licence agreement with MESRA, a PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad subsidiary, granting exclusive rights to develop Steers and Debonairs Pizza across Malaysia, according to akta.pro company records. The group opened its first Steers and Debonairs Pizza combo restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in December 2025 following the conclusion of the agreements with Mesra Retail & Café Sdn Bhd. Famous Brands holds a 49% strategic stake in UAC Restaurants Limited, which is based in Nigeria and operates the Mr Bigg's and Debonairs Pizza brands.

Botswana Stake Sale and Digital Rollout

Famous Brands has entered into a transaction to reduce its shareholding in Retail Group in Botswana from 51% to 30%. In the rest of Southern Africa, where Famous Brands has operations in 11 countries, revenue declined 18% to R183m and operating profit declined by 78% to R5m, largely dragged down by Botswana. In October 2026, ITWeb reported that Famous Brands is investing in AI, self-service terminals and digital menus, rolling out Munch POS in 564 restaurants, and that its interim operating profit fell 4.7% to R375 million while it declared a 170-cent dividend. In June 2026, BusinessLIVE reported that Famous Brands flagged Botswana as a key area of underperformance in its latest annual report, citing the country's weakening diamond-driven economy and reduced consumer spending as material headwinds to its revenue generation. In May 2026, BusinessLIVE reported that Famous Brands, operating over 3,000 restaurants across 22 markets, is accelerating its African expansion with plans to enter two new countries through its Mugg & Bean brand under licensed arrangements.

What Comes Next for the Group

Famous Brands expects to open about 80 new restaurants in the second half of its financial year. The group is negotiating a licence agreement in Ghana and plans to open several outlets in Kenya over the next six months.