Fishaways

What Fishaways does

Fishaways S.A is a South African seafood quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise chain founded in 2015 and operated as a brand under Famous Brands Limited, the JSE-listed parent and South Africa's largest QSR franchisor. The company operates over 250 franchise restaurant locations across South Africa and broader Africa, offering freshly prepared seafood meals including hake-based fish and chips (grilled or fried), sharing platters for 2-4+ people, wraps, hot pots, poke bowls, sushi at selected locations, and an Under 500 Calorie healthier menu line. Its core technology stack consists of a proprietary mobile ordering application available on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery, plus a website ordering platform supporting delivery within a 3km radius and kerbside collection. Third-party delivery is enabled through partnerships with Uber Eats and Mr D Food.

The business operates a franchise model, generating revenue through retail food sales at franchised locations, recurring franchise fees and royalties, and direct ordering revenue through its app, website, and delivery channels. Customer acquisition is driven by digital marketing on Facebook and Instagram, a multi-program loyalty ecosystem (Momentum Multiply, Clientèle, Superbalist), and YoYo Gifts digital gift cards. Pricing is unit-based with meals ranging from R29.90 to R279.90, a R65 minimum for delivery, and a R15 minimum delivery fee. B2B-relevant franchise financing partnerships are maintained with Standard Bank, FNB, Nedbank, ABSA, and Capitec to support unit growth.

The company's primary customers are South African individual consumers seeking convenient, freshly prepared seafood takeaway, including families, groups, office workers, and health-conscious buyers. Its 'Food with Thought' sustainability initiative, SASSI-compliant seafood sourcing, FSC-certified packaging, and the 2023 Clean Up Mzansi CSI program represent documented differentiators. The company is privately held and does not disclose standalone revenue; it is part of the larger Famous Brands group, which provides supply chain, operational, and marketing infrastructure across the network.

Name

Fishaways

Legal name

Fishaways S.A

Website

https://fishaways.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fishaways is a South African seafood QSR franchise chain operating over 250 locations under Famous Brands Limited, serving individual consumers, families, and office workers with fresh hake-based meals, sharing platters, sushi, and healthier options through in-store, app, website, and third-party delivery channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick Service Seafood Restaurant

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood QSR (THAFAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seafood Fast Casual (THAFABAJ), Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

Keywords

• Seafood takeaway
• Quick service restaurant
• Fish and chips
• Franchise restaurants
• Online food ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

South Africa

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Fishaways generates revenue through direct retail food sales at over 250 franchise restaurant locations across South Africa. Customers purchase freshly prepared seafood meals including fish and chips, sharing platters, sushi, and healthier options. Revenue is transacted through in-store payments, online orders (app/website), and third-party delivery platforms.
2. Franchise Fees: As part of the Famous Brands group, Fishaways operates through a franchise model where individual franchisees pay fees and royalties to operate Fishaways restaurant locations. The company provides brand, operational systems, supply chain, and marketing support to franchisees.
3. Delivery Revenue: Revenue generated from delivery orders placed through the Fishaways app and website, including minimum order fees and delivery charges within designated delivery areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fishaways is a seafood-focused Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) takeaway chain that sells freshly prepared seafood meals — led by hake-based fish and chips — alongside sharing platters, sushi, wraps, hot pots, poke bowls, and an Under 500 Calorie healthier-options line. Meals are sold through 250+ franchise restaurant locations in South Africa and through a proprietary mobile app, website, phone ordering, third-party delivery aggregators (Uber Eats, Mr D Food), and kerbside collection services.

Product overview

Fishaways is a South African seafood takeaway restaurant chain offering freshly prepared seafood meals. The core product is fish and chips (hake), available grilled or fried with various sides. The portfolio includes sharing meals for 2-4+ people, sushi at selected restaurants, wraps and rolls, hot pots (rice bowls), poke bowls, and healthier Under 500 Calorie options. The digital platform consists of a mobile app (iOS, Android, Huawei) and website for online ordering with delivery (within 3km) and collection options. The business operates as a franchise network with over 250 restaurants across Africa and is part of the Famous Brands group. Partnerships include Uber Eats and Mr D Food for third-party delivery, plus loyalty rewards programs with Momentum Multiply, Superbalist, and Clientèle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 restaurant locations across Africa

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary, flagship and minor.

• Momentum MultiplycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFishaways partners with Momentum Multiply to offer Weekly Wins reward vouchers worth up to R30. Multiply Premier members who achieve weekly physical activity targets can redeem Fishaways vouchers at participating restaurants. This partnership drives customer acquisition and retention through health-focused rewards.
• SuperbalistsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerSuperbalist partnership offers customers free small hake and chips meals as promotional rewards. Customers can access these vouchers through the Superbalist platform and redeem at Fishaways restaurants.
• ClientèlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClientèle Perks partnership provides monthly R30 vouchers for Fishaways meals. Clientèle members can claim vouchers through the Clientèle app and redeem at all Fishaways outlets nationwide.
• Famous Brands LimitedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishaways is a brand under Famous Brands Limited, South Africa's leading quick service restaurant franchisor. Famous Brands provides operational support, supply chain, marketing, and brand development for Fishaways franchise network.
• Uber EatssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership making Fishaways meals available on the Uber Eats platform at select restaurant locations.
• Mr D FoodsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership making Fishaways meals available on the Mr D Food platform at select restaurant locations.
• YoYo GiftsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYoYo Gifts provides digital gift card functionality for Fishaways, allowing customers to purchase and send digital gift cards for Fishaways meals.
• SASSI (Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishaways supports SASSI by ensuring all seafood used falls within the GREEN (Best Choice) list, demonstrating commitment to sustainable seafood sourcing.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreOthersFishaways packaging is FSC certified, providing assurance that packaging materials come from responsibly managed forests.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spur Steak Ranches: Spur is a flagship full-service family restaurant brand owned by Famous Brands Limited, the same parent as Fishaways. It offers seafood and steak in a casual sit-down setting and competes for South African family dining occasions, sharing the same group supply chain and franchise infrastructure.
• Steers: Steers is Famous Brands' flagship burger QSR chain with hundreds of South African outlets. It competes with Fishaways for QSR takeaway occasions and consumer wallet share, leveraging the same Famous Brands group infrastructure and marketing scale.
• McDonald's South Africa: McDonald's SA operates several hundred QSR restaurants across the country and competes with Fishaways for lunch, dinner, and family takeaway occasions. Its brand power, app-based loyalty program, and delivery aggregator presence make it a benchmark for digital ordering and QSR traffic.
• Wimpy: Wimpy is a Famous Brands-owned QSR/diner chain in South Africa offering breakfast, burgers, and seafood-adjacent items. As a sibling brand within the Famous Brands portfolio, it competes for the same takeaway lunch and casual dining occasions and shares franchise systems.
• Debonairs Pizza: Debonairs Pizza is another Famous Brands-owned QSR chain focused on pizza delivery and takeaway. It competes with Fishaways for home delivery and family meal occasions and shares the same Famous Brands supply chain, marketing, and franchise ecosystem.
• KFC South Africa: KFC operates over 900 restaurants in South Africa and competes head-on with Fishaways in the QSR takeaway category. While menu-focused on chicken, KFC's scale, marketing budget, and shared family-meal occasions make it a key competitive benchmark for Fishaways' traffic and ticket size.

Direct peers

• Ocean Basket: Ocean Basket is South Africa's largest dedicated seafood restaurant franchise, offering sit-down and takeaway fish and seafood meals at over 200 locations. It is the most direct comparable to Fishaways in target customer, product category (seafood-focused menu), and franchise-based QSR/casual dining model.
• Nando's: Nando's is a major South African-origin QSR chain specializing in flame-grilled peri-peri chicken with hundreds of South African locations. While its core product is chicken rather than seafood, it directly competes for QSR takeaway occasions, share of stomach, and franchise-driven unit economics in the same South African market.

Emerging players

• Simply Asia: Simply Asia is a South Asian-style QSR/casual chain offering noodle and seafood-based meals through company-owned and franchised stores. It overlaps with Fishaways on quick-service takeaway meals featuring seafood and Asian flavors, though operating at smaller scale.

Others

• FNB (eBucks / rewards ecosystem): FNB's eBucks rewards program is referenced as a comparator for the loyalty partnership model Fishaways uses with Momentum Multiply, Superbalist, and Clientèle. While not a direct competitor, it represents the broader South African loyalty ecosystem that shapes consumer voucher-driven takeaway purchasing behavior.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Fishaways
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialfishaways_sa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fishaways

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fishaways