Research by Cape Town$-$based consultancy firm Eighty $20,$ which asked respondents which fast food outlets they have bought food from in the past four weeks. The research also shows that while restaurants and coffee

shops have battled since Covid$-19$ and are still around $22\%$ below $2019$ revenue, the takeaway and fast$-$food categoryrecovered quickly after the pandemic and is now $41\%$ above $2019$ levels.

These two categories accounted for R$3\mathrm{.}9$ billion and R$2\mathrm{.}8$ billion in income, respectively, for August $2023,$ according to the latest StatsSA Food and Beverage Statistical Release. Despite South Africa$$s current economic woes, these categories have consistently grown over the last three years since the Covid$-19$ pandemic.

However, this growth has stalled for restaurants over recent months, with July and August showing more than a $4\%$ contraction year$-$on$-$year. Fast food, on the other hand, has continued to grow in real terms. The fast$-$food category was a third of the size of the restaurant category pre$-$Covid, but now it is more than two$-$thirds the size $$ showing just how much consumers$$ purchasing behaviour has changed.

The most popular fast$-$food outlets

The top $10$ most popular fast food outlets are KFC$,$ Chicken Licken, Debonairs, McDonald$$s$,$ Hungry Lion, Spur, Nando$$s$,$Burger King, Steers, and Wimpy. However, the top three $$ KFC$,$ Chicken Licken, and Debonairs $$ decreased in popularity in the past year, while McDonald$$s$,$ Spur, Nando$$s and Wimpy grew. Chicken, burgers, and pizza make up an estimated twothirds of all fast food spending, with chicken dominating fast food preferences in South Africa, Eighty$20$ said.

The top $10$ list of fast$-$food outlets, according to MAPS $2023,$ has one pizza restaurant, three burger joints and four chicken eateries. KFC is dominant, topping the list overall and beating out the chicken competition by some distance. More than a quarter of respondents purchase from KFC every four weeks.

Question One

Consider the information in the case study above. What do you learn about the consumption of fast food in South Africa? $(10)$

Question Two

KFC has been at the top of the list in $2022$ and again in $2023.$ Critically discuss how the leading brand KFC has created customer equity. $(10)$

Question Three

Consider the Wimpy brand which is at the bottom of the top ten list. Recommend how Wimpy can employ the A$$s to grow

the brand and be in a better position in $2024.(10)$

Question Four

Recommend how the only pizza outlet on the list, Debonairs pizza should employ social factors in gathering further

insights about their customers and target market. Make reference to not only the case study but millennials as well. $(10)$