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Asanda Maqabuka describes herself as an entrepreneur at heart. While her first serious venture into the world of franchising ended badly, she and her mother who is also her business partner, are now firmly on track to establish a truly and uniquely South African chicken takeaway franchise – with the support of Business Partners Limited.

Despite a couple of false starts in tertiary education and with business ideas, Asanda’s ambition led to her mom proposing that the two of them go into business together and buy a franchise.

The pair found a business in 2018 that ticked all the boxes for them: a black-owned fast-food franchise with a proudly South African menu and story. The stores were set up in containers, which means they could be moved if the initial location proved to be not ideal. “The idea of upgrading kasi living with this franchise that gives an alternative to all the American brands we have in the country, appealed very much,” remembers Asanda. The Maqabukas signed the contracts, received their store in Hammanskraal and started trading.

“We were the top performing franchisee in the first month and made good money, but things started going wrong very quickly,” says Asanda. The franchisor was not keeping to their commitments, there were issues with stock and not enough customers, and the 26% interest rate charged by the franchisor’s funding partner drained the new business’ resources. “We were told we were impatient and greedy, but we soon learned that the other franchisees were in the same boat. We discovered the hard way that you don’t know what you don’t know”

Six months later, the franchisor was liquidated. Asanda and her mother couldn’t service their loan and risked losing the family home. Eventually, having won a high court battle with a family friend’s help, the Maqabukas moved their container from Hammanskraal to Mthatha where they live, rebranded it as Chickenbar, created a new menu and got back into business.

And then Covid-19 struck. But, Asanda says, it was the best thing that could have happened to the business. As soon as restaurants were allowed to trade again, Chickenbar was up and running – moving far quicker than the bigger franchises could. Consumers liked what they tasted and Chickenbar did well.

In 2021, when Asanda started getting enquiries from people who wanted to replicate Chickenbar, she joined the Franchising Association of South Africa (FASA). “I was not going to do what was done to us; I wanted to do things right from the start.”

When the extortionate loan for the failed franchise was finally settled, Asanda decided the time was right to open a second outlet. She moved to Johannesburg to find the right mall location for the new Chickenbar. In September 2023 she landed an offer to lease from Menlyn, with which she secured financing from Business Partners Ltd. The Menlyn option did not pan out, but Chickenbar eventually found a home in the Kingsley Centre in Arcadia, Pretoria, and opened its doors on 24 May 2024.

Chickenbar is all about really good food – every order is freshly prepared and the meals served are extremely affordable. The brand is something South Africans can be proud of. It showcases what young South Africans are capable of.

“The brand shows my personality,” Asanda says. It is young, vibrant, funky and has a bigger mission – which is why Chickenbar is already accredited with the fast-food service and food and beverage SETAs for training and upskilling, and why Asanda sits on FASA’s members council.

As for Business Partners Ltd, Asanda couldn’t be more grateful. “They have been an absolute blessing. They gave me a shot when few others would and with the moratorium on the loan repayment and the technical support we get, we have time to grow the business and access to technical expertise to get it right.”

About the Author: BPL Admin

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