Johannesburg - US fast-food giant Yum Brands plans to open
130 new KFC stores in Africa this year, bringing its presence on the continent
to 1 000 restaurants, Business Day newspaper said on Friday, citing a senior
executive.
Yum, the parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut chains, also
plans to bring KFC into seven new African countries this year, general manager
for Africa Keith Warren told the paper.
New markets include Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar, the newspaper said.
Yum also plans to bring Pizza Hut restaurants to South
Africa this year, Business Day said.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Yum is no stranger to
emerging markets. The company has more than 3 700 restaurants, mostly KFC
outlets, in China, where it is the No.1 Western restaurant brand.
The company has said it expects at least 10% profit growth
in 2012, led by its China business.
Western retailers are increasingly targeting Africa, which
is home to rising consumer spending and some of the world’s fastest growing
economies, albeit off a low base.