Group Overview
Famous Brands is Africa’s leading food services franchisor, known for its iconic brands and reputation as a responsible franchisor. Our continued success lies in our ability to craft, grow and protect remarkable brands that meet the needs of an evolving consumer.
The Group began as a family business in the early sixties with the Steers brand. Today, our enterprise consists of an extensive, vertically integrated business model with 4 522 employees and operations across South Africa, selected African markets, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
In November 2024, Famous Brands commemorated 30 years of being listed on the JSE in the Travel and Leisure sector. Today, our business model comprises four core pillars: Brands, Manufacturing, Logistics and Retail.
Guided by our purpose
We nurture our franchise partners to sustainably impact our communities.
" While much has changed over 30 years, we have kept our entrepreneurial spirit, love of innovation and drive to serve franchise partners and consumers. "
COMMEMORATING 30 YEARS AS A LISTED GROUP
The Famous Brands story originated in the 1960s when George Halamandres opened the first Steers restaurant. The business, owned and operated by the Halamandres and Halamandaris families, grew over the decades. In November 1994, the Group, then known as Steers Holdings Limited, initially offered its shares to investors at R1.65 per share, which equated to a market capitalisation of R41 million.
At the time of listing, the Group managed the Steers brand in South Africa with a limited supply chain component. Following the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the food services category expanded with strong consumer demand and the growth of the middle class. The Group expanded through strong organic growth and successful acquisitions. At the same time, the Manufacturing and Logistics operations expanded to offer franchise partners high-quality products at the same or lower prices.
Since listing, the business has transitioned from a family-owned company to operating in the highly regulated listed environment. Over time, the Group’s governance structures matured, and new risk management disciplines were introduced. Today, the majority of our Board comprises independent non-executive directors.
Our growth story would not be possible without the commitment of our franchise partners. We have 1 055 franchise partners who have journeyed with us for over 30 years, with our longest tenure franchise partner joining us in 1973. Several of our franchise partners have developed multi-brand and multi-restaurant networks, benefiting from economies of scale and building generational wealth.