The Bergen’s brand was started in 1999 in the Weltevreden and Randpark Ridge area in Johannesburg. After being retrenched from a FMCG retail company in 1995, Adriaan van Bergen started a variety of small to medium size companies in an attempt to strive going forward.

His initial exposure to the appliance repair industry was in 1992 in Houtbay, Cape Town. It was a seed that took eight years to germinate and today, Bergen’s Appliance Repairs is the largest appliance repair brand in the country with 27 franchise outlets nationally and growing. In 2019/20 three new branches were opened ie. Durban North (KZN), Hillcrest (KZN) and Milnerton in Western Cape. Various other branches relocated to bigger, better premises. These were Northriding, Randpark Ridge and Vanderbijl. Bergen’s also have a Solar division called Bergen’s Solar dealing in the four different categories that being Solar geysers, Solar PV (electricity), pool heating and backup power supply.

Bergen’s Appliance Repairs was the first franchise of its kind in the world and a very unique South African brand. Our target market is every household in South Africa that owns one or more large appliance; in fact the average household has 12 large household appliances. Bergen’s does not repair smalls such as kettles, toasters and irons.

The Ideal location would be a community based shopping centre or a prominent house within the neighborhood. Approximately 75% of the franchise outlets are owned and operated by woman, proving the misconception that this is only a man’s industry. The skills sets required for a successful franchisee weigh heavily on people skills, sales skills, phone skills and admin skills.