A recent survey conducted by the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) revealed that the franchising industry has grown from contributing 13.3% to the South African Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017 to its current figure of 15.7% despite the tough economic climate and its impact on franchises.
Morne Cronje, head of franchising at FNB Business said franchising is a tested business model that should be considered as a treasure trove in creating jobs.
The recent FNB Franchise Leadership Summit unpacked key trends to look out for in 2019:
Speaking at the FNB Franchise Leadership Summit, Andy Higgins, founder of bidorbuy.co.za is of the view that, it is not about online or offline, but a blurring of the lines. Three typical scenarios are: consumers go into a store to get advice and feel the product, and make an online order; or they do research online and make the purchase in store; or a consumer does online research, orders it online and then makes an arrangement to pick it up in person.
Simply put, franchise owners need to incorporate all these channels to reach their customers.
More franchises using social media: Social media is a good marketing tool for story telling and building the persona of the business in an age of technology, thereby promoting the human interaction element.
Social franchising: Social franchising offers a mechanism to deliver impact at scale within a framework of operational standards prescribed by a social franchise business model. Social franchising is much needed in South Africa and it can promote the delivery of impactful services from education to healthcare, among other sectors.
“South Africa is going through a tough economic period and consumers are feeling the pinch, thus cutting back on spending. However, franchising continues to show growth in this testing environment and we expect it to grow on the same trajectory in 2019 and beyond,” said Cronje.
