Franchisee ownership improves in 2023, with black ownership showing an increase of 10%.

Loading player...
GUEST – Fred Makgato, CEO of Franchise Association SA

The number of franchise systems dropped from 813 in 2019 to 727 in 2023 – clearly attributed to the disruptions of the past four years which put the break on new concepts coming on line and perhaps in the closing of smaller fledgling concepts that could not get off the ground during the pandemic.

Female ownership remained steady at 30% in 2023, possibly due to the multiple roles women had to play over the past four years, especially during Covid which may have restricted their entrepreneurial ambitions.
24 Jan 2024 3PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Is SA’s gambling surge getting worse?

A recent study by Trade Intelligence shows that 39% of online betters are gambling more than they did a year ago, what’s more is that people are prioritising betting over basics, like groceries. Salem Nyati, Consumer Financial Education Specialist at Momentum Group Foundation talks about factors behind the continued rise…
17 Feb 2PM 15 min

Repossessed Properties in South Africa: Are They Really a Bargain?

As property prices continue to climb across South Africa, the dream of home ownership is drifting further out of reach for many first-time buyers. In that environment, repossessed properties are increasingly being marketed as a smart shortcut into the market, discounted, distressed sales that appear to offer instant value. Tonight…
17 Feb 2PM 14 min

Q4: 2025 Labour Data Unpacked - Seasonal Relief vs Structural Reality

With the Q4 2025 Quarterly Labour Force Survey released today by Statistics South Africa, the national conversation is once again focused on the headline unemployment rate. However, the deeper story emerging from recent labour-market trends points to far more consequential questions about youth exclusion, job quality, long-term unemployment, and the…
17 Feb 2PM 15 min

Q4 2025 Labour report: Gains in jobs, but youth and underemployment remain a concern

South Africa’s labour market showed modest signs of relief in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey. The official unemployment rate declined slightly to 31.4%, marking the second consecutive quarterly decrease and the lowest reading since mid-2020. This was supported…
17 Feb 2PM 13 min

Eskom’s 6% wage increase proposal rejected by unions

Two of South Africa's (SA) biggest trade unions have rejected an improved 6% salary increase offer from state-owned power utility Eskom, their representatives said this Tuesday. Eskom has dragged on Africa's largest economy for years, owing to power cuts and the company's financial troubles, but improved performance from its coal-fired…
17 Feb 2PM 9 min