Spur Corporation plans to open 42 new restaurants in South Africa and 14 internationally for the 2026 financial year.
Spur, which owns restaurant brands such as Panarottis, John Dory’s, RocoMamas and Doppio Zero, has 640 outlets in South Africa and 113 internationally, which includes Australia and Mauritius.
During the six months to December, it opened 29 restaurants in South Africa, which included seven Spur, seven Panarottis, five RocoMamas and four Doppio Zero outlets. It closed eight restaurants.
“These 29 new restaurants have created an estimated 660 new jobs and 67 new franchised partnerships, including 20 black and 17 female franchisees,” said CEO Val Nichas.
Nine new restaurants were opened in the rest of Africa, increasing the international store network to 113. The Spur brand was reintroduced into Lesotho with the opening of a new restaurant in Maseru in September 2025. One store in Zambia was closed.
Spur Corporation reported an 8.5% increase in half-year revenue to R2.2bn, driven by revenue growth of 7.5% in the South African franchise segment, 15.8% in the international segment and a strong increase of 11.5% in the manufacturing and distribution division.
Group profit before tax increased by 13% to R245m. The South African operations grew by 11.4% to R227m, and the international business by 37.3% to R17m.
Spur said growth for the six months to December was supported by the ongoing expansion of the group’s local and international restaurant base.
Nichas said trading conditions in the weak macroeconomic environment were compounded by increased competitor promotional activity in the battle for market share in the meal solution category. Trading was further impacted by supply chain disruptions due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which affected the beef livestock industry, resulting in supply shortages and significantly higher beef prices.
“Despite sustained pressure on disposable income, year-on-year customer numbers increased slightly across the group. Encouragingly, the average spend per head grew ahead of menu price inflation over the six-month period,” she said.
Total franchise restaurant sales grew by 8% to R6.4bn, and the competitive trading performance resulted in continued strong growth in group revenue and profitability.
Commenting on the trading outlook for the remainder of the financial year, Nichas said that while South Africa’s economic growth is forecast to accelerate in the year ahead, this is unlikely to translate into improved trading conditions in the short term owing to the current sustained pressure on consumer spending.
“However, we are optimistic about the group’s medium-term prospects despite the volatile trading conditions. Our portfolio of well-established, distinctive restaurant brands, together with our VK brands, positions us to grow market share across categories, regions and countries.”
“We have identified a strong runway for expansion and believe that our brands are far from reaching saturation in South Africa or beyond. We are focusing on expanding our presence in current markets while entering further African countries over time,” said Nichas.
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