Famous Brands posts a rise in full-year earnings despite constrained consumer budgets and rising competition
Owner of Steers, Debonairs, Fishaways and Wimpy's profit is up by 12,6% in the year to end February 2025.
Steers burger and Chips. Picture: x.com/SteersSA
Stephen Grootes speaks to Darren Hele, CEO of Famous Brands.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Famous Brands, the owner of Debonairs Pizza, Steers and Wimpy reported an increase in profit of 12,6% for the year to end February 2025.
It achieved this despite constrained consumer budgets and rising competition in the fast food sector.
The group which operates close to 3,000 restaurants across 20 countries has highlighted a number of factors which continue to impact operations, including unreliable electricity and water supply.
There were however some positives in 2025, such as lower inflations, stability in the rand and interest rate cuts.
Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Famous Brands CEO, Darren Hele says they managed to attract consumers during a particularly difficult period for the South African consumer.
"We are an industry that constantly needs to put ourselves out there, so it's not unique to us. But if you get the wrong message out there, you certainly can feel it. And right now consumers are on high alert for value, and that's the key message."
- Darren Hele, CEO - Famous Brands
"In the upper-end of the market where they are going out, they're probably a little more cautious around what they spend. They don't want to give up the occasion, but they may give up the bottle of wine or dessert..."
- Darren Hele, CEO - Famous Brands
"There's definitely been a slow and gradual change. If I showed you menus from 10 years ago, you'd see a distinct difference evolving over time, particularly around health options, portion sizes, red vs white meat..."
- Darren Hele, CEO - Famous Brands
Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.