Insight Survey’s latest SA Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2025 carefully unfolds the global and local fast food/QSR markets, based on the most credible intelligence and research. It examines the latest market trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges, to present an objective insight into the South African fast food industry environment and its future.
Globally, the fast food market is expected to reach an estimated value of approximately $1.07tn in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4%, to reach approximately $1.60tn by 2030. As illustrated in the graph below, McDonald’s remains the most valuable fast food brand in 2025, by a large margin, achieving a brand value of $221.1bn, slightly decreasing from its brand value in 2024, of $221.9bn.
Source:
Kantar | Graphics by Insight Survey
In 2024, the South African fast food industry continued to show growth, demonstrated by an increase of 4.2% between 2023 and 2024. This robust growth is expected to continue, with an expected CAGR of 8.4%, between 2025 and 2029, driven by the rise in plant-based eating habits, as the growing use of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry, and the increasing demand for convenience amongst local consumers.
In particular, notable product innovations have contributed to the rising dominance of chicken in the fast food sector across global markets. For example, McDonald’s Hong Kong revived its Prosperity Burger line-up in celebration of Chinese New Year, including the Chicken Prosperity Burger, launched alongside festive items such as Pineapple Pie and Prosperity Twister Fries. This seasonal campaign drove a 20% increase in digital orders via the McDonald’s app.
Similarly, Burger King UK introduced its Kansas BBQ Chicken Fries in May 2025. The menu item was positioned within a limited-edition ‘BBQ King Box’ and resulted in a 15% weekend footfall increase, showing the marketing power of chicken-based limited time offerings.
The global chicken giant, KFC, also boosted its menu offerings with new items, such as its Fill Ups value bucket, chicken & waffles + strawberry & créme pie poppers, Mike’s Hot Honey Sauce, $5 bowls with five choices, and new saucy nuggets flavours. Interestingly, KFC Philippines revived its home-grown ‘Chizza’ concept, swapping pizza dough for Original Recipe chicken as the crust, and staged pop-up ‘Chizzerias’ in Manila, representing a new and innovative way to use chicken as a pizza base.
Locally, the large number of chicken players and menu items across the board has resulted in what has been termed the ‘Chicken Wars’, reflecting how competition is heating up in the local market. Demonstrating the dominance of chicken in the fast food market, data provided by Uber Eats has demonstrated ‘Crispy Chicken’ to be the most searched item on the app, with pap being the most requested side dish, and research showing chicken outlets to be one in five venues.
Specifically, one of the standout performers is Pedros, a relatively new entrant that has disrupted the market with rapid growth and bold branding. The company’s rise is built on a combination of affordability, aggressive rollout strategies, and a strong value-for-money proposition that resonates with price-sensitive consumers. This includes a new partnership with BP, resulting in the launch of its first drive thru in Centurion, a significant milestone for the brand.
However, traditional players like KFC maintain a stronghold in the fried chicken space, although newer brands such as Crispy Chicken, Chicken Licken, Hungry Lion, and Chickin Tyme are battling for market share. Each brand is innovating in different ways, through marketing, pricing/value, menu variety, and store formats, to stand out in a highly saturated local market.
Nando’s, as always, had a significant impact on the local market with its signature impactful and humorous marketing campaigns, such as ‘#NeverHaveIEverAtNandos’, ‘#HotMess’, ‘Stick it Out’ and ‘#WeDeliver’, amongst several others.
Interestingly, innovation is not just limited to traditional chicken-focused players, demonstrated by the launch of the new McCrispy Chicken Burger, by McDonald’s positioned as a signature chicken offering and forms part of the brand’s ongoing product innovation strategy.
The South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Report 2025 (182 pages) provides a dynamic synthesis of industry research, examining the local and global fast food industry from a uniquely holistic perspective, with detailed insights into the entire value chain – market size and forecasts, latest industry trends and innovation, industry drivers and challenges, Fast Food/QSR competitor analysis, latest marketing and advertising news, pricing and promotion analysis.
Some key questions the report will help you to answer:
- What are the current market dynamics of the global and South African fast food industry?
- What are the latest global and South African fast food industry trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges?
- What are the market, food-type and offline/online retail value trends in the South African fast food market (2019–2024) and forecasts (2025–2029)?
- Which are the key South African fast food market players and what is the latest marketing and advertising news for each of the competitors?
- What is the latest company news for key South African fast food players in terms of products, new launches, and marketing initiatives?
- What is the pricing and recent promotions of key fast food competitors by category: Burgers, Chicken, Pizza, Pies, and Others?
For more information, and to view the brochure: South African Fast Food/QSR Industry Landscape Brochure 2025.
If you require further assistance, please email az.oc.yevrusthgisni@ofni, call our Cape Town office on (021) 045-0202, or Johannesburg office on (010) 140- 5756.
About Insight Survey:
Insight Survey is a South African B2B market research company with more than 15 years of heritage, focusing on business-to-business (B2B) and industry research to ensure smarter, more-profitable business decisions are made with reduced investment risk.
We offer market research solutions to help you to successfully improve or expand your business, enter new markets, launch new products or better understand your internal or external environment.
Our bespoke Business Intelligence Research can help give you the edge in a global marketplace, empowering your business to overcome industry challenges quickly and effectively, and enabling you to realise your potential and achieve your vision.
From strategic overviews of your business’s competitive environment through to specific competitor profiles, our customised Competitive Intelligence Research is designed to meet your unique needs.
For more information, go to www.insightsurvey.co.za.
