South Africans love their fast food... especially KFC

Source: © KFC KFC Collectively, 16.28 million South African adults have eaten from the top 5 fast food outlets, roughly the same number that voted in the 2024 South African elections

South Africa’s top 10 fast food outlets include one pizza restaurant, Debonairs, and three primarily beef-focused establishments, McDonald’s, Spur and Burger King, down from five beef places last year.

According to Maps*, Pedro’s and Fish and Chip Company have made it into the top 10 as two of the fastest-growing restaurants.

While the Top 10 shows some variability, they have remained relatively consistent over time.

Beef eaters show stronger brand loyalty than chicken eaters.

With Wimpy and Steers dropping from the top 10, it cuts monthly unique beef customers eating at the top 10 from 6.7 million to 5.2 million people.

In contrast, chicken-focused brands in the top 10—KFC, Chicken Licken, Hungry Lion, Pedro’s, and Nando’s—see an increase from 14.8 million to 15.5 million unique customers.

We really love our KFC: one in four South Africans dined at KFC last month.

More people eat at KFC than the combined customer count of six other outlets in the top 10.

KFC attracted over 10 million customers in the past month, yet only 16% visit weekly, one of the lowest repeat rates among the top 10 QSRs, alongside Hungry Lion.

In contrast, Nando’s and McDonald’s enjoy nearly 30% weekly visit rates from their customers. Still, KFC’s massive reach means it has more weekly visitors than Nando’s entire monthly customer base.

Embedded in SA culture

"Fast food is deeply embedded in South African culture, with half the adult population indulging each year and 20 million doing so monthly," says Andrew Fulton, director at Eighty20, the data science and consumer analytics business that examined the country’s fast food dining habits, the country’s preferred protein choices and the top 10 fast food outlets.

Fulton says their data shows just how dominant the top 10 brands are, especially KFC, and how demographic and income factors shape where South Africans choose to eat.

“These insights are vital for brands competing in an increasingly dynamic quick service restaurant landscape.”

Fast food facts

1. In the past year, one out of every two adult South Africans, totalling 23.4 million people, purchased fast food.
   
2. Approximately 20 million of them dined at a fast-food outlet in the past month, a figure that has increased slightly over the past two years.
3. Notably, 92% of these 20 million individuals chose to eat at one of the top 10 fast food outlets.
   
4. The number of people who say they haven’t personally bought food from a Fast Food/Casual Dining outlet during the past four weeks dropped from 9.4% of the adult population to 6.9% from 2023 to 2025.
   
5. McDonald's opened its first restaurant in South Africa in November 1995 in Blackheath, Johannesburg, growing to the current roughly 400 restaurants across the country. By McDonald’s calculations, there have been 70 billion burgers sold at McDonalds globally since 1995.
   
6. The Economist Big Mac Index tracks the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac in each country, giving an easily digestible comparison of global purchasing power parity (PPP). In 2025 the average price of a Big Mac in the US was $5.69, while the cost of the same burger in South Africa averaged $2.85. As at January 2025, the index suggests the rand is undervalued by 52%.
   
7. Our local burger joint, Steers, has been around since 1960 and has more than 600 stores across Africa, and even has restaurants in the UK.

Demographic preferences

Eighty20’s analysis of South Africa’s fast food habits reveals clear demographic preferences across income and age groups.

• Age trends: Older consumers favour beef from Spur and Wimpy, and chicken from Afro’s Chicken Shop and Barcelos. In contrast, younger diners prefer Burger Perfect and Steers for beef and Chicken Licken and ChesaNyama for chicken.

• Income segments: Wealthier South Africans choose Spur and Burger Perfect for beef and Barcelos and Mochachos for chicken. Lower-income groups lean towards Burger Rack and Steers for beef, and Afro’s Chicken Shop and Honchos for chicken.

• Top QSRs by affluence: Affluent customers frequent Ocean Basket, Mugg & Bean, and Cape Town Fish Market. Budget-conscious consumers opt for Afro’s Chicken Shop, Fish and Chip Co and Andiccio24.

• Age extremes: The oldest patrons are found at Wild Bean and Anat, while the youngest gravitate towards Jimmy’s Killer Prawns and Milky Lane.

*The data science and consumer analytics business used data from several sources, including Maps, the nationally representative survey of 20,000 people conducted by the MRF.