Genesis BBQ Group, the operator of the chicken franchise brand BBQ, said on the 12th that it signed a master franchise (MF) agreement with a local corporations in South Africa (hereafter South Africa). MF is a model in which the headquarters, instead of entering overseas markets directly, receives brand royalties and fees through contracts with local corporations and sells technical support and brand licensing.
According to Genesis BBQ Group, the MF agreement signed with "Good Tree South Africa," which is operating a Korean food distribution business locally in South Africa, was carried out at BBQ headquarters. The signing ceremony was attended by Chair Yoon Hong-geun of Genesis BBQ Group, CEO Lee Dong-il of Good Tree South Africa, and other key officials from both companies.
South Africa, with a population of 63.02 million and a median age of 28, is regarded as a country with high growth potential in the dining-out industry. In particular, South Africa's annual per capita chicken consumption is about 36 kilograms. It is also a country with a developed food culture related to chicken, with chicken accounting for more than half of all meat consumption.
BBQ plans to introduce stores in a QSR (quick-service restaurant, fast-food restaurant) format in partnership with Good Tree South Africa, which operates more than 3,000 supermarket brands in South Africa. It also plans to expand stores, focusing on major South African cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Bloemfontein.
Chair Yoon said, "South Africa is a strategic bridgehead for a full-scale entry into the African continent and a key base that can accelerate the global expansion of K-food," adding, "We will work to ensure that the culture of Korean food centered on 'K-chicken,' with differentiated menus and services tailored to local culture and tastes, expands across Africa."