By Melody Korongwe
Harare, Zimbabwe – Simbisa Brands, a leading quick-service restaurant group in Southern Africa, is pushing forward with an aggressive expansion strategy and customer experience upgrades as it approaches the end of its fiscal year on June 30, 2025.
Group Chief Executive Officer Basil Dionisio emphasized the company’s unwavering focus on customer-centric growth, saying, “We remain fully committed to elevating the customer experience.”
This commitment is reflected in a wave of store refurbishments aimed at modernizing outlets across key markets. In Q4 2025 alone, Simbisa plans to open four new counters, with a broader 2026 plan to launch 53 new outlets and execute 56 refurbishments across Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Eswatini.
Simbisa is also tackling inflationary pressures and tax burdens with renewed cost-efficiency efforts.
Mr. Dionisio stated, “Our priority is optimizing our supply chain through strategic supplier partnerships to secure sustainable input cost savings.”
He further noted that a strong agricultural season in Zimbabwe is expected to aid in reducing cost pressures and support margin protection.
As of March 31, 2024, Simbisa had expanded its footprint to 722 outlets after adding a net 20 counters evenly split between company-operated and franchised locations.
While expansion continues, Dionisio clarified that the focus on upgrading existing stores is now taking precedence: “We are temporarily moderating the pace of new openings to prioritize the modernization of our current network.”
Despite a challenging economic backdrop, Simbisa delivered a strong performance in Q3 of FY2025.
Revenue rose by 4% year-on-year, with Dionisio noting, “Our Q3 growth reflects a disciplined approach to balancing value and experience, even as customer counts edged down.”
Over the first nine months of the fiscal year, total revenue rose 6%, supported by a 7% increase in real average spend, despite a 3% drop in footfall.
In Zimbabwe, third-quarter revenue grew 1% year-on-year, entirely due to a rise in average spend, with footfall steady at 11.2 million. Year-to-date customer counts rose 6% thanks to organic growth and targeted promotions.
Despite closing eight underperforming outlets and opening only two, the Zimbabwean network stood at 333 outlets. Simbisa deployed energy-saving technologies and lean staffing models to offset rising energy, fuel, and tax costs.
Kenya was the standout performer, registering a 13% revenue surge in Q3 on the back of a 25% jump in average spend, even as visits declined by 10%. For the nine-month period, revenue rose 15%.
To address increased price sensitivity, Simbisa introduced lower-cost value-meal options. The Kenyan network expanded to 251 counters, including five refurbishments. The company credited “procurement efficiencies and local currency stability” for preserving gross margins.
In Eswatini, revenue remained flat in Q3 and fell 2% year-to-date. However, gains in real average spend up 3% in the quarter and 7% over nine months helped improve profitability despite lower customer traffic.
Simbisa attributed this to “lean operations and enhanced staffing structures.”
Looking ahead, Dionisio reaffirmed the company’s broader strategic goals: “Innovation and sustainability remain central to our long-term value creation.”