Hungry Lion enters Zimbabwe: For the love of Fried Fowl and Fries

Another player has entered the Zimbabwe Fried Chicken Wars. Hungry Lion has now come into the country with its first outlet at Greenfields Shopping Complex. The Shoprite subsidiary is no stranger to Southern African expansion because it operates in five countries in the region, namely, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), and Angola.

The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) established 400 branches in Southern Africa; so to say that they are not well-versed in execution would be grossly unfair… However, the Zimbabwean market will prove a challenge for Hungry Lion…

Fried fowl and fries is a tough game in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, competition against Simbisa’s suite of fast food options has been fierce, but they have remained ahead despite what has been thrown at them. 

Mambos Chicken, with its almost Nando’s-esque sharp tongue on social media (the Nando’s franchise is also under SImbisa Brands), Slice Group, which styled itself as a low-cost alternative, Chicken Hut, TN Grill, and many others have come but have reassessed their positions, retreated, or are no longer in the market. As far as anyone is aware, the only Mambos Chicken outlet along Park Street in Harare is closed. There was no mention from Mambos whether they are moving or have shut shop entirely.

The other competitor, Chicken Hut, recently opened in the Harare International Airport, making it the only fast-food restaurant in the whole complex. This marks an incursion in an area where the market leader, Simbisa, has either been unwilling to pursue or can’t for whatever reason.

Chicken Slice has had a number of run-ins with Simbisa, most notably the 2023 Trademark Case that Chicken Inn won in court. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but when it comes to business, it's rarely ever seen as such.