Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Simbisa Brands says it has planned 31 additional store openings in its current year, primarily in Zimbabwe, as the group seeks to enhance customer experience.
According to the group’s first quarter (FY2025), which ended September 30, 2024, group total store count for the period was at 720, comprising 606 company-operated counters and 114 franchised outlets.
“A net of five new company-operated counters were opened during the quarter, with 31 additional store openings planned for the remainder of the financial year, primarily in Zimbabwe.
“The group also has plans to refurbish and refresh 44 counters throughout the year to further enhance the customer experience,” group chief executive Mr Basil Dionisio said in a statement of the financials.
Simbisa Brands is the largest fast-food restaurant operator in Zimbabwe and owns, operates, and franchises a selection of well-known quick service restaurant brands.
These include Pizza Inn, Chicken Inn, Nandos and Steers of South Africa, and the group has an extensive footprint in Africa, with outlets in Zimbabwe and 10 African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Mauritius, Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Swaziland, Lesotho and Zambia.
Mr Dionisio said during the first quarter of FY2025, investments were made to refresh the Pizza Inn Brand and develop new products across all of the key brands.
“The introduction of exciting new value offerings and intensified promotional activities has been instrumental in solidifying brand presence and driving increased customer footfall,” he said.
He said in terms of enhancing customer experience, to elevate the experience, the group conducted extensive training during the quarter under review, aligning staff with the objective of delivering exceptional customer service.
He noted that during the quarter, a total of 11,598 staff members received training across all brands.
“Customer feedback is strongly encouraged as it remains a crucial element to our success.
“In Q1 FY 2025, 12,410 reviews were collected and acted upon, up from 2,085 in the previous quarter, allowing the group to make significant improvements in service delivery and food quality,” said Mr Dionisio.
He indicated that in order to drive organic growth, marketing and promotional efforts have been intensified, with a particular focus on boosting the contribution from the delivery segment to drive top-line growth in FY 2025.
“Additionally, supply chain optimisation and cost-containment strategies will be implemented to preserve margins, ensuring that revenue gains translate into improved profitability and value creation for stakeholders,” said Mr Dionisio.
During the quarter under review, Zimbabwe’s market revenue grew by 4 percent in Q1 FY 2024 versus the prior year, driven by a 12 percent year-on-year increase in customer counts, with 12.1 million customers served in Q1 FY 2025.
Mr Dionisio said Simbisa Zimbabwe expanded its market share through new store openings, adding a net total of 47 new counters between 30 September 2023 and 30 September 2024, bringing the total to 330 counters trading at the end of the quarter.
During the quarter, the chief executive said Simbisa Zimbabwe’s energy costs more than doubled year-on-year in Q1 FY 2025, driven by a 54 percent increase in electricity tariffs and worsening power outages.
He said the company is intensifying cost-containment measures to protect margins and improve profitability.
The group’s revenue grew by 6 percent year-on-year, with customer counts rising 7 percent compared to the prior year, whilst real average spends fell 1 percent.
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