CHAMWE KAIRA
Namibia delivered one of the strongest performances in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region for restaurant group Famous Brands, with system-wide sales growing by 7.3% in local currency during 2026.
Brands operating in the region include Steers, Debonairs Pizza, Fishaways, Mugg & Bean, Wimpy, Milky Lane and KEG.
The company said Namibia experienced moderating headline inflation during the year, but consumers continued to face pressure on household disposable income due to elevated food, transport and utility costs.
Despite these challenges, consumer spending remained resilient, although spending on discretionary items softened as customers increasingly sought value-driven offerings.
The positive performance in Namibia contributed to the broader SADC region, which includes Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The SADC division reported revenue of N$423 million for 2026, down 6% from N$451 million in 2025. Operating profit declined to N$29 million from N$51 million a year earlier, while the operating profit margin fell to 6.8% from 11.2%.
According to the company, the decline in profitability was largely driven by weaker performance in Botswana and Zambia amid challenging economic conditions.
However, several other SADC markets continued to perform well, helping to support the region’s long-term growth prospects.
Among the strongest-performing markets was Angola, where system-wide sales grew by 6.9% in local currency.
The company attributed this to strong economic growth driven by non-oil sectors and the continued success of brands such as Mugg & Bean and Debonairs Pizza.
The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded the highest growth rate in the region, with system-wide sales increasing by 350.7% following the opening of the first Steers and Debonairs Pizza combination store in Lubumbashi in late 2025.
Eswatini reported sales growth of 20.4%, while Lesotho recorded a marginal decline of 0.8%.
Famous Brands said it remains focused on digitisation initiatives across its SADC operations, including digital ordering solutions, kitchen display systems and self-service terminals.
The company is also expanding delivery capabilities through outsourced call centres and delivery hubs to improve efficiencies and support future growth.
Famous Brands increased its revenue to N$8.74 billion during the 2026 financial year as the group expanded its restaurant network beyond the 3000-store mark despite difficult trading conditions.
According to the company’s 2026 Integrated Annual Report, revenue rose from N$8.28 billion in the previous year, while operating profit increased to N$955 million from N$914 million.
Headline earnings per share climbed to 583 cents from 520 cents, and dividends increased to 382 cents per share from 345 cents.
The group said it generated the improved financial performance despite subdued consumer spending, low disposable incomes and higher prices for key ingredients such as beef and coffee.
Famous Brands now operates 3043 restaurants across 22 countries, representing net growth of 64 restaurants during the year.
The company opened 140 new restaurants, refurbished 181 outlets and expanded its drive-through network to 82 locations.
South Africa remains the group’s largest market, accounting for 2694 restaurants, or 89% of the network. The South African business generated N$8.1 billion in revenue, representing 93% of total group revenue.
Chairman Chris Boulle said the group had maintained focus on executing its long-term strategy despite a challenging operating environment.
“The Group crossed the 3000-restaurant mark, a testament to the strength and endurance of the franchising model, continued investment by franchise partners and the continued relevance of our brands across diverse consumer segments,” he said.
