New Fast-Food Restaurant Backed By Springbok Legend Launches In South Africa.
A new local fast-food brand has launched in South Africa, aiming to turn the country’s deeply rooted braai culture into a scalable franchise.
Newsday reported that The Braai Republic opened its first store at Northgate Mall on 20 November, marking the start of what its founders hope will become a nationwide rollout.
The Braai Republic wants to be a local alternative in an industry dominated by global chains, and the restaurant promises a menu centred on A-grade, flame-grilled meat and traditional South African sides.
The concept is backed by Springbok prop Retshegofaditswe “Ox” Nché, who has joined as both franchisee and ambassador, working closely with the team on menu ideas and new product development.
For the founders, he was an obvious choice. Managing Director of Fiamme Holdings, Jan de Beer, said the team wanted “someone who is loved by South Africans the same way South Africans love to braai.”
Nché, who plans to open his own franchise, said the brand appealed to him because braai culture represents connection.
“Braai brings people together, from families and friends to teammates and entire communities, and that’s why I’m excited about this partnership. It’s real, it’s local, it’s us.”
Customers can expect a range of meats straight off the grill, which include brisket, chuck, beef short rib, pork ribs, T-bone, wors and chicken—all served on the bone and cooked over an open flame.
Sides include hand-cut slap chips, creamy pap, salads, and flavour-rich staples like chakalekker and shebo, all made fresh in store.
The aim, according to the founders, is to offer something recognisably South African while still polished enough to grow into a major franchise.
Behind the new brand is Fiamme Holdings, the company that took the Fish and Chip Co. from 77 to 160 stores nationwide.
Built on what unites South Africans
Photo: Kimberly Kersten
De Beer said the idea for The Braai Republic was born long before formal planning. It began with four associates who realised that, like many great South African ideas, this one emerged after six or so beers.
Turning the spur-of-the-moment thought into a viable franchise took 25 months of development.
“The Braai Republic is built on what unites South Africans—fire, flavour and that sense of togetherness you can’t manufacture,” De Beer said.
Chairman Carlo Gonzaga believes the concept will resonate widely. “Launching our first store marks the beginning of a growth journey we believe the whole country will rally behind.”
The launch comes at a time when South Africa’s fast-food market is expanding quickly, attracting new international players looking to tap into the country’s strong appetite for fast food.
One of the latest brands preparing to enter the market is Genesis BBQ Chicken, a major Korean fried-chicken chain with a global footprint.
The company has signed a master franchise deal with Good Tree South Africa, a local distributor of Korean food products, which will operate the stores and pay royalties to the parent company.
Good Tree plans to open the first Genesis BBQ Chicken outlets in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein.
The brand, whose name stands for “Best of the Best Quality,” is known for its crispy Korean-style fried chicken cooked in olive oil, which it claims makes the product a healthier alternative to traditional fried food.
The arrival of another global franchise highlights how attractive the South African market has become.
Research from Cape Town-based consultancy Eighty20 showed that roughly ten million South Africans buy fast food over a four-week period.
Allied Market Research estimates the local fast-food sector was worth $2.7 billion in 2018 and could reach $4.9 billion by 2026, driven by an expected compound annual growth rate of nearly 8%.
According to the Southern Africa Food Lab, the past five years have seen a rise in the consumption of convenience foods, partly due to the growing number of takeaway outlets.
Items like fried chips, hamburgers, koftas and vetkoek are increasingly common in daily diets and are expected to gain even more traction.
