Scooters Pizza targets 20 South African stores by November

Scooters Pizza is targeting 20 operating outlets in South Africa by 30 November 2026 as it builds on its return to the local market. Moneyweb reported on 31 August that the brand had reached a reported 10-store footprint, with further expansion planned in Pretoria, Rustenburg and KwaZulu-Natal.

A return built around regional expansion

The brand’s first return-to-market outlet opened in Melville on 21 October 2025. According to Moneyweb, its subsequent expansion has taken it into Gauteng, Limpopo and the Western Cape, establishing a base for the next stage of its national growth plans.

The reported Gauteng locations are Melville, Rosebank, Elspark, Edenvale, Alberton, Dalview and Waverley. Phalaborwa represents the Limpopo presence, while Claremont and Parow feature in the Western Cape expansion.

In Cape Town, the brand has opened at Stadium on Main in Claremont. Moneyweb also reported that shopfitting had begun at the Parow site on Voortrekker Street.

There is an important distinction in the reported figures: although Parow appears in the publication’s 10-store footprint, it is also described as being at the shopfitting stage. The footprint should therefore not be read as independent confirmation that all 10 listed locations were already trading at the time of the report.

For South Africa’s franchise community, that distinction helps separate an expanding property pipeline from a network of fully operational outlets.

KwaZulu-Natal features in the next phase

Scooters Pizza’s near-term plans include a Rustenburg opening in September, further expansion in Pretoria, and its first KwaZulu-Natal outlets in Ballito and Umhlanga. These planned additions form part of the push towards 20 operating stores by the end of November.

The longer-term national objective is 50 outlets by November 2027. Separately, the brand has outlined a five-year target of 35 stores across KwaZulu-Natal.

Those figures describe different planning horizons. The KwaZulu-Natal target is a longer-term regional ambition, rather than a commitment to have 35 stores there by November 2027. Keeping those timelines separate gives prospective franchisees a clearer view of what has been announced.

The planned move into Ballito and Umhlanga would add another province to the brand’s reported presence. However, the opening schedule and outlet targets remain plans: the supplied report does not establish that these proposed stores have subsequently opened or that the November milestones have been achieved.

Setup costs and recurring fees

Alongside the expansion plans, Moneyweb reported setup costs starting at R1.6 million. That is an entry-level figure, not a confirmed total investment for every prospective location.

The reported fee structure combines a 6% management royalty with a 3% national marketing contribution, bringing the combined rate to 9%. This is down from a previous combined rate of 12%, a reduction of three percentage points.

For prospective franchisees, both the initial cost and the recurring charges deserve attention. The starting setup figure offers a reference point, while the royalty and marketing rates identify ongoing commitments that should be examined in the franchise documentation.

The available research does not provide store-level turnover, profitability, working-capital requirements or payback periods. It therefore does not support a conclusion about how quickly an investment might be recovered, or whether one proposed location would perform better than another.

What prospective franchisees should check

The expansion announcement gives potential applicants specific points to investigate: the status of proposed sites, the timetable for openings, the starting investment and the revised fee structure. It does not replace a detailed assessment of an individual opportunity.

Before committing, applicants should request an itemised investment schedule and clarify what the R1.6 million starting figure includes. They should also establish how the recurring fees are calculated and review the support available during shopfitting, launch and ongoing operations.

Where an opportunity forms part of a regional rollout, applicants should ask which sites are trading, which are being fitted out and which remain proposed. That is particularly relevant when a reported footprint includes a location still undergoing shopfitting.

Practical takeaway: Treat Scooters Pizza’s growth targets as a starting point for enquiries, not proof of future returns. Verify the individual outlet’s status, full funding requirement and contractual commitments before making an investment decision.