To accelerate the country’s economic rehabilitation post COVID-19, there must be a greater drive towards creating more sustainable Small to Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) says Marcel Strauss, Group Chief Operating Officer at The Franchise Co.

“We cannot sit back and hope that the country’s economy will return to pre-recession levels with­out actively creating means of stimulating it. SMMEs worldwide have proven to be an effective way of getting people back to work and kick-starting the economy. To aid entrepreneurs looking to get involved in something practical with minimised risk and cost, The Franchise Co. created South Africa’s most affordable franchise mobile restaurant, called Nyamalicious,” says Strauss.

While announcing the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, President Cyril Rama­phosa said South Africa needed to accelerate the implementation of the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme, which will bring a lot more people into the mainstream economy. These include sectors such as automotive, personal care, clothing and textiles, bakeries and confectioneries, chesanymas and cooked food, fruit and vegetable vendors, butcheries and spaza shops.

To maximise the move towards having more people participate in the mainstream economy, the Nyamalicious brand which includes a fully equipped, trademarked mobile restaurant, allows franchisees to offer their customers a moveable feast of braaied meat, flame-grilled chicken, and any other food assortments liked by their customers while physically taking their business to where the people are.

Beyond that, the Nyamalicious restaurant allows entrepreneurs to adjust their menus to make them relevant to their patrons, recognising the need for flexibility and the business of the franchisees.

A Nyamalicious mobile restaurant that is fully equipped to make money from the first day of operations, costs a mere, once-off fee of R170,000.  After the initial payment to buy into the franchise business, Nyamalicious charges franchisees a fee of R5,500 per month, which allows them the usage rights of the transportable restaurant. In support of the entrepreneur, the franchisor will receive training on how to operate the business, set menus, effective stock control, staff management, site locations, as well as marketing support to set the business apart from its competitors.

“It’s equally vital that we do not just stop at providing entrepreneurs with the resources needed to reach financial development but also include the necessary support to ensure they are well-equipped to handle the daily management activities that come with running a business. That is one way we can ensure growth not only of the business but the industry, and meaningfully contribute towards bringing down the high levels of unemployment which currently stands at 32.5%, according to Statistics South Africa,” explains Strauss.

The Franchise Co. is also responsible for the following successful food franchises: Mike’s Kitchen, BlackSteer,  Yami Rib and Burger, Yami Pizza, ChesaNyama, Zebro’s and Yummy Fish & Chips.