Simbisa plans further stores roll-out

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SIMBISA Brands (Simbisa) has set an ambitious target for its more developed markets — Zimbabwe and Kenya — to increase revenue streams through delivery channels and grow market share through new store openings.
The African-focused restaurant company, which operates in nine African countries, owns and runs a portfolio of brands targeting consumers across all income categories through casual dining and service restaurants.

In the group’s annual report, Simbisa’s group chief executive, Basil Dionisio, said particular attention will be paid to penetrating the market in areas currently underserviced by Simbisa, particularly in small towns and high-density areas.
“There are 75 new store openings in the pipeline in Zimbabwe and Kenya alone for FY2023. Several Chicken Inn Drive-Thrus are in the pipeline as this has proved a value-accretive brand concept. In Zimbabwe, the group is exploring introduction of the drive-through concept for other brands such as Nandos and Steers,” he said.
To bolster delivery revenue streams in Zimbabwe, Dionisio said the focus is on increasing delivery capacity by scaling up operations across the country through the acquisition of more motorbikes and increasing call centre agents numbers.
“A strategic decision was made to transition Pizza Inn to deliver exclusively on the Dial-a-Delivery platform in Kenya, effective 1 September 2022. Establishing Dial-a-Delivery as the premier pizza delivery service in Kenya will allow Simbisa Kenya to continue dominating this market segment against third-party delivery services and QSR competitors through the continued growth of the Pizza Inn brand.
“It will bolster delivery revenue streams to Simbisa Kenya through the growth of Pizza Inn delivery volumes and enable improvements in service quality. In both markets, initiatives in FY2023 will focus on improving order and bike tracks, thereby reducing delivery times and improving the overall customer experience,” he added.
As for the group’s other regional markets, Dionisio said the focus remains on consolidating and developing existing shops to generate growth from the existing capacity to increase shareholder returns on current investments.
“New store development will be highly selective, with only the best possible sites being considered. Only eight such sites have been identified and included in the pipeline for the remaining regional markets in FY2023,” he said.