Nando’s closure: A blessing in disguise

NDAMA NAKASHOLEThe reason why South African grilled chicken franchise Nando’s closed its doors in Namibia is because the head office did not renew the licence of the Namibian franchisee when it expired on 31 October.Nando’s fast-food outlets had operated in Namibia for the past 16 years.Rupert Harmse, who held the franchise for the last ten years, told Market Watch that they did not take the setback lying down.Harmse, who has been in the food industry for the past 29 years, said besides the Nando’s franchise he was simultaneously running a brand called Coffee Addicts. After losing the Nando’s franchise he decided to sell off the Nando’s branded furniture and to build on his coffee brand by operating the take-away outlets under the name Grill Addicts.Grill Addicts will operate from all the former Nando’s outlets and all 140 employees kept their jobs.Grill Addicts has outlets in Klein Windhoek (corner of Sam Nujoma and Stein streets), Olympia (1 Louis Raymond Street), at 141 Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue, in Independence Avenue and at Katutura’s B1 Mall.Namibian prideAccording to Harmse, losing the franchise was a blessing in disguise.“Namibians love to braai, so this is for Namibians,” he said of Grill Addicts.He said from kapana, to home braais, Namibians in general love to braai.Grill Addicts’ slogan is ‘Addicted to Namibia’ and according to Harmse, the brand is closer to the culture of Namibians.He said whereas they had to meet Nando’s franchise conditions in the past, they are now a free brand that will go the extra mile to satisfy customers’ needs. Another advantage is that the chicken servings are now bigger since costs are lower because they do not have to pay royalties and import duties any more.“We are now giving that value for money to our customers,” he said, adding that all procurement is now local.The reviews so far have been good, Harmse said. “We urge all our old customers to come and try these out and see for themselves.”IndependenceHarmse said Namibians should embrace their own brands and support local suppliers and service providers. “Our chicken is local, our beer, our soft drinks; we now buy from local suppliers.”DiversityWhile Nando’s is known as a Portuguese-style chicken brand, Grill Addicts plans to go beyond that.“Before, we had people who would say they wanted a change and not just chicken every day,” he said.Grill Addicts will soon add beef burgers and steak to its menu.“Our beef will be proudly Namibian and coming fresh from the farm here in Namibia,” Harmse said.He promised that their food would be fresher now because they are getting their ingredients locally and products won’t be refrigerated for long.“We are now an independent brand,” Harmse reiterated.Nando’s speaksWithout responding to detailed questions, Nando’s South Africa responded to Market Watch in a brief email: “To confirm, Nando’s have closed franchise branches in Namibia. At this stage we cannot provide further details, however, we are considering future plans to re-enter the Namibian market.”

Nando’s closure: A blessing in disguise

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