TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Zimbabwe’s largest fast-food restaurant operator, Simbisa Brands Limited, is planning to open more than 40 food outlets across the country in the next 12 months as it expands its footprint.
Warren Meare, Simbisa Brands MD, said the expansion seeks to attain 1000 restaurants in 18 months.
“We will be opening the first Nandos drive through in Bulawayo in the next 6 months. This would be at the Bradfield shopping centre next to KFC. Besides that, we will be opening another six outlets throughout Zimbabwe under the Nando’s brand,” Meares said during the reopening ceremony of the renovated Nando’s restaurant in Bulawayo.
The outlet was renovated at a cost of US$510 000. “Zimbabwe is our biggest market and we hope to open another 48 restaurants by June next year,” Meares said. Simbisa currently operates restaurants in several countries across Africa.
The expansion into the African continent is critical to spread the risks over different markets.
“As we continue to grow in Zimbabwe, Simbisa operates more than 13 brands and 292 restaurants across the country. We have another 220 in Kenya and we are also in Zambia, Ghana, Mauritius and we will be going towards a thousand restaurants in a year-and-a-half,” Meares said.
He said Nando’s has also spread to the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and Botswana.
He said Simbisa has so far spent US$4.5m of the US$15.5m the company aims to invest under its expansion programme.
The development also comes as more fast food outlets are emerging across the country, especially in the high density areas as well the city and town centres.
Nando’s Zimbabwe country director Steven Chamboko said: “We are thrilled to welcome our family back home to a fresh Casa. Those who missed the Jason Moyo (branch) opening in 2010 can now say they were some of the first customers who were there when the legendary Jason Moyo Casa new look was unveiled.”
