Debonairs Pizza reported R8,28 billion in revenue in 2025.

• Chicken remains the top fast-food choice in South Africa, but pizza has risen to second place, surpassing burgers and multi-category restaurants.
• Famous Brands’ Debonairs Pizza reported significant revenue growth in 2025.
• Pizza’s growth extends beyond quick-service restaurants to grocery aisles, with frozen pizza dominating the market, and South African pizzerias gaining global recognition in Time Out Travel rankings.

Chicken is king in South Africa, dominating quick-service restaurant sales from shisanyama corners to suburban drive-throughs.

But new data shows a less obvious contender is now second.

Eighty20 Consulting, a consumer analytics firm, reports pizza is now South Africa’s second most popular fast-food category.

Using 2025/2026 MAPS consumer data, pizza now outsells burgers and multi-category restaurants like Spur.

Chicken chains lead, but pizza’s rise comes from its consistent top-five ranking.

This resilience stands out, given Domino’s 2020 exit and Scooters Pizza’s near-disappearance, with a recent small-scale return in Rosebank.

Famous Brands, owner of Debonairs Pizza, reported R8,28 billion in revenue in 2025, up from R8,02 billion, with operating profit up 12.6%.

To understand who is driving these sales, Eighty20 utilises its National Segmentation (ENS), a proprietary tool that profiles South Africans based on over 1 000 variables, including income, credit behaviour, and lifestyle.

Their data identifies “Heavy Hitters” which represent South Africa’s wealthiest 5% of households, as key consumers who show a broad preference for diverse food categories.

According to the data, the “Middle Class Workers” segment, consisting of roughly four million credit-active, employed professionals, views pizza as a staple “reward” meal for families and young couples.

“Chicken’s dominance reflects affordability and culture, but pizza’s second place comes from its widespread availability at various prices,” says Andrew Fulton, director at Eighty20.

He adds, “Its versatility for sharing makes it particularly appealing to family-oriented segments.”

Research from Deep Market Insights says growth isn’t just from hot delivery.

Hannah Blake, a data analyst for food and beverage affordability, says convenience is driving growth in grocery aisles as much as quick-service restaurants.

In Blake’s 2024 study, the South African pizza market is valued at $1.89 billion, with the methodology highlighting that frozen pizza accounts for the largest share of the market by product type.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s pizza scene is also gaining momentum. In the most recent Time Out Travel global rankings, two local spots broke into the top 18.

Johannesburg’s Little Kitchener’s Pizzeria claimed sixth place for its pepperoni and hot honey pizza, while Cape Town’s Pizza Connection landed 11th spot.