Franchising sector specialist,
Nedbank, is hosting three networking seminars, in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, to highlight opportunities in the franchising sector in 2018. With franchising being a preferred lower-risk business model for business owners, these seminars, taking place for the third year running, are expected to be heavily subscribed as delegates rush to book for the three events.
The dates for the seminars are:
- 18 July 2018 in Johannesburg,
- 25 July 2018 in Cape Town, and
- 26 July 2018 in Durban.
The speakers at the seminars include experts in their field, such as Nando’s Robbie Brozin, Ocean Basket’s Grace Harding, Sorbet’s Jade Kirkel, Chicken Xpress’s Devon Scoulelis and Col’Cacchio’s Michael Terespolsky, as well as representatives from Nedbank, sharing expert advice on how to succeed in the franchising sector.
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| Robbie Brozin |
Brozin is the co-founder of Nando’s, which is now an international restaurant chain and one of the most visible high-street retailers to have emerged from South Africa. The unique flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken is served in some 1 200 restaurants in 23 countries, including South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Australia and Malaysia, by 35 000 Nandocas (the special name given to members of the Nando’s family). Brozin, who was born in Middelburg, a small country town in South Africa, has come a long way – nothing stopped him from thinking and dreaming big.
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| Grace Harding |
Harding, who started working when she was 12, selling paraffin, matches and blankets in Troye Street in the centre of Johannesburg, has more than 30 years’ experience across a number of business disciplines and today runs the South African seafood franchise Ocean Basket. Harding believes in creating work environments that focus on the customer and people; environments with no fancy titles or cumbersome hierarchies. ‘At 53 I’ve worked for a long time and every day I feel anxious that I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning because I am still learning and feel so excited about the future of the world. I admire Elon Musk and truck drivers and the cleaners who work with me at Ocean Basket, and I love courageous people.’ Today she sees Ocean Basket as the perfect environment for her to fulfil her own dreams: It’s a down-to-earth, tenacious and very real brand – a true David in a world of Goliaths.
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| Devon Scoulelis |
Visionary Scoulelis is a quiet go-getter on a mission to empower South African entrepreneurs. As founder of Chicken Xpress his goal is to become the ‘peoples’ champion’ in every community. ‘We are focusing not only on brand and store growth, but also on the impact we have on each community. We are providing a sustainable business model with support and mentorship to local entrepreneurs, jobs for the surrounding community, and inspiring stores where you can readily access Africa’s much-loved meals.’ After working for a nationwide franchise and becoming a franchisee himself, the Glenwood High School old boy launched Chicken Xpress in Umlazi, south of Durban. He spent 18 months setting up a franchise model and learning how difficult it was to compete with established brands. But he persevered, creating a franchise model with an offering based on his motto: trust the flavour. Today, Chicken Xpress has 23 outlets – and ambitious plans to grow.
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| Jade Kirkel |
Jade Kirkel joined Sorbet in 2009 when the company had just 10 stores. Today she is in charge of the marketing of the group. ‘I remember in the earlier days of the brand when we had to convince landlords and guests that we were a beauty salon and not an ice-cream parlour. My mission for Sorbet from the beginning was to make it every woman’s best friend and to become a brand that South African women could come to love and trust. We now have over 200 stores, five of them in the United Kingdom. Now, more than ever, the brand needs to be strong, solid and consistent. ‘I have learnt many lessons along the way, including how to build a national brand in a franchise environment and how, ultimately, culture is everything.’
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| Michael Terespolsky |
Michael Terespolsky is the cofounder and managing director of the Col’Cacchio Group, one of South Africa’s best loved, home-grown brands, well known for its gourmet pizza offering. Terespolsky is an entrepreneur with the ability to identify an opportunity and act on it. He has grown Col’Cacchio from a single restaurant on Cape Town’s Foreshore to a group that has 36 stores across South Africa. It is Terespolsky’s vision to build a chain of restaurants selling healthy, simple food to match the lifestyle of the modern-day customer who feels that being healthy is a way of life, which is evident in Col’Cacchio’s being one of the first restaurant groups in South Africa to introduce gluten-free and banting pizza and pasta offerings, a vegan menu as well as its famous pizza-and-salad combo of 500 calories or less.
The Nedbank franchise seminars are in line with our purpose of helping clients ‘see money differently’ and a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in franchising and our commitment to funding new entrepreneurs. ‘Franchising has proved to be successful for expanding and growing business in a volatile economic environment,’ says Laurette Pienaar, Nedbank National Franchise Manager. Ensuring that your concept is scalable and viable and that you have appropriate infrastructure and sufficient support is critical to the success of your franchise.
The most recent sector statics released by the
Franchise Association South Africa (FASA) show that the franchise sector in South Africa employs approximately 400 000 people through 757 franchise systems and their 35 111 franchise outlets. The sector contributes 13,3% to South Africa’s overall gross domestic product. The franchise industry’s turnover was estimated at R587 billion in 2017, highlighting the positive growth that the sector has experienced over the past number of years.
This stellar line-up of successful franchisors is expected to attract much interest and, as such, attendance of the three events will be by invitation only.
For more information on the event you can send an email to
franchise@nedbank.co.za.
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