Category: FASA News

How Covid Restrictions Affected the Franchise Sector “One thing we learned during Covid was that you are in the business of building entrepreneurs so you have to adapt to ensure you can keep stores open. One of the biggest challenges during Covid was having 70 staff and law-keepers coming in wanting to close us down as we could only have 50 people in the store.” Tony da Fonseca, MD of the OBC Group FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

“I’m in the business of politics and policies and you are in the politics of business and this is why we must work together. As businesses, you must come on board and advise us.” Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

As FASA prepares to launch its Franchise Surveys at their conference on Thursday 26th October, it does so with the backing of another key survey – that of the Mastercard Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) SME Confidence Index that shows that small businesses are indeed the backbone of any economy and they have the resilience to withstand enormous external and internal pressures. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

The Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) has noted with interest the final report by the Competition Commission on the Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry (OIPMI) which was launched after it suspected some online platforms were restricting competition specifically in relation to small and medium enterprises, as well as historically disadvantaged people who competed in these markets. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

The fifth edition of the South African Customer Experience Report shows that now that the Covid hangover is almost over, consumers behaviour has changed, presenting both a threat and an opportunity for brands. In an article in BizCommunity – Consumers settle for good enough while brands create the leaky bucket syndrome – Charlie Stewart, Rogerwilco’s CEO and co-author of the Report together with ovatoyou’s Amanda Reekie and CX consultant, Julia Ahlfeldt have shown that the general malaise of load-and-water shedding, coupled with high interest rates, inflation, fuel and fuel prices is reflected in a nation-wide apathy in consumers who are …

Proudly South African’s annual Buy Local Summit & Expo which celebrated its 11th edition honoured South African brands and associations that subscribe and support the Proudly SA ethos. FASA’s CEO Fred Makgato accepted the award at a gala dinner attended by the Deputy President, Paul Mashatile and Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. FASA member OBC Better Butchery’s Tony Da Fonseca, a past chairman of FASA, also received an award as a retailer with the highest locally manufactured products on its shelves. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in …

Past Chairs of FASA, Tony Da Fonseca and Pertunia Sibanyoni, current Chair Maria D’Amico and CEO Fred Makgato, together with the board of FASA, send their heartfelt congratulations to Akhona Qengqe on being appointed KFC general manager for Africa, effective 1 April 2023. She will replace outgoing GM Dhruv Kaul who is moving into a GM role for KFC Pan Europe. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

The Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) since its establishment in 1979 has been dedicated to ethical franchising, guiding and safeguarding the reputation of the sector which today contributes 14% to the country’s GDP. FASA does not have statutory powers and regulating and enforcing its code of ethics and business practices can only apply to its members. The requirements of becoming a member of FASA are stringent – this no doubt scares off the less scrupulous operators and those who do not have correct structures and support systems required of a top class franchise system. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, …

I am honored to have been elected Chairperson of FASA for 2023/2024. During this period, I together with the CEO of FASA will aim to bridge the gap between the recent eventful past few years with a determined effort to use franchising to kick-start new economic growth and encourage entrepreneurial positivity at all levels. This will include franchise development and penetration throughout South Africa. Maria D'AmicoMaria D’Amico holds an LLB in Law (obtained at WITS) and has been practicing as an attorney for 33 years and working at Thomson Wilks Attorneys. Maria is an expert in commercial law, commercial litigation …

FASA held its 44th Annual General Meeting at the end of February to elect its new board of directors for 2023. In its forty-four year existence the association, which was started by those early franchise companies that were setting up ground-breaking franchise concepts at the time, has continued to deliver on the mandate granted by its members and has, over the years grown the franchise sector to become an important part of South Africa’s economy, contributing almost 14% to the country’s GDP. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa …

As the franchise sector suffers more debilitating losses as a result of the load-shedding crisis, The Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) adds its voice to other representative business associations calling on government to take urgent action to resolve the energy crisis and bring national security under control to prevent an explosion of unrest and civil disobedience. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

The annual golf day is a FASA tradition that over the years has brought together rival brands, service providers and suppliers to not only pit their driving and putting skills against each other but also to do some serious networking. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

When man does extraordinary things – good or bad – such as space exploration, pandemics or even going to war – they often create astonishing scientific discoveries but also down-to-earth ‘spin offs’ that affect us in our daily lives. Alan Turing’s Nazi code breaker in World War II paved the way for digital computers in the decades that followed. Microwave ovens emerged from post-World War II military radar technology and man landing on the moon brought us everything from solar power, thermal material, foil blankets, scratch-resistant glasses, digital cameras & cordless tools, memory foam, vac-pack food and baby formula. Taking …

Although franchisees are regarded as being in business for themselves, they are part of a broader network and have bought into and must abide by someone else’s business model. This is a franchising agreement According to Tanya Woker, Professor of Law and author of ‘The Franchise Relationship under South African Law”, there is a need to ensure the right balance between the rights of franchisors to protect their networks and the rights of franchisees to benefit from the investment they have made. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa …

In the same way that the energy crisis in South Africa has dragged on with no solution in sight, reforms to enable SMME growth through efficient governance has also seen years of draft master plans going nowhere. The National Integrated Small Enterprise Development (NISED) Master Plan published recently by the Minister of Small Business Development is yet another in a long line of initiatives that show no urgency and are simply tools for delay. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific focus on transformation. www.fasa.co.za …

It’s finally back on the FASA events calendar! Traditionally one of the highlights of the FASA calendar, the Golf Day sponsored by Absa will once again be a Spring event on 30th September 2022 at Wanderers Golf Club. This is the one occasion that allows franchisor members to socialise on a casual basis, invite their franchisees or suppliers to join them in a great game of golf and then celebrate a hard day’s play with an informal prize-giving and dinner. FASA Franchise Association South AfricaTo protect, lobby, promote and develop ethical franchising across all sectors in South Africa with specific …

Franchises after the Pandemic Although franchises and businesses in general have been impacted by the pandemic for the past 2 years, it seems that the franchise business model has proved resilient and franchises all over the world are bouncing back – some franchise companies are even looking to foreign markets for future expansion. The recent signing of an MOU between FASA and the Malaysian Franchise Association is a bold step in that direction. Franchising is the one business method that has perfected going global. Think of some of the world’s most iconic brands – from McDonald’s to KFC; from Re/Max …

Pick n Pay is the first big supermarket chain in South Africa to launch ‘in-store vertical farms’ to show customers a sustainable and locally-grown modern farming solution. The vertical farms will grow various lettuce leaves and herbs from seeds, right in Pick n Pay’s fresh produce section. This farming method display in-store is a growing trend globally with supermarkets in Europe and US, such as Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Whole Foods Market, introducing grown in-store leaf. Flagship stores Pick n Pay On Nicol in Sandton and Pick n Pay Constantia in Cape Town are the first stores to pilot …