Debonairs Pizza
A South African pizza restaurant franchise known for delivery, distinctive menu combinations, and expansion across Africa.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Debonairs Pizza is a South African pizza restaurant franchise headquartered in Johannesburg. Founded in 1991 by university students Craig MacKenzie and Andrew Harvey, the business began at the Park Road Spar in Pietermaritzburg with a small amount of start-up capital. Its early proposition combined pizza with free delivery and a deliberately theatrical service identity: delivery staff wore tuxedos and bow ties, helping the young chain distinguish itself in a crowded quick-service market. The concept was influenced in part by MacKenzie's observations during a gap-year trip to Los Angeles. After its first restaurant, Debonairs expanded into Umhlanga and Durban before attracting the attention of the Steers Group, now known as Famous Brands. Steers acquired the chain in 1996, giving Debonairs access to a larger franchising, procurement, marketing, and operating platform. The following year, the brand opened its first restaurant outside South Africa in Manzini, Eswatini, beginning a wider international expansion across African markets. Delivery has remained central to the brand. Debonairs began using delivery vehicles in 1997 and later adopted digital ordering, becoming the first pizza brand in Africa reported to have introduced mobile ordering in 2010. The chain has also used menu innovation and localized marketing to position itself as a more distinctive alternative to conventional pizza franchises. Its advertising language shifted from “We Deliver Smartly” to “It's the way you like it” in 2005 and then to “Try Something Different” in 2011. The business grew from its initial South African restaurants into a large franchise network. It opened its 60th restaurant in 1998 and reached 600 restaurants in 2016 after opening a location in Botshabelo. It passed 700 restaurants in 2020. By mid-2025, publicly reported figures placed the network at 868 restaurants in 16 countries, with most outlets in Africa and additional operations in the United Arab Emirates. South Africa remains the brand's principal market. In February 2025, reporting stated that Debonairs had added 27 restaurants during the preceding Famous Brands financial year, equivalent to approximately one new outlet every two weeks. Debonairs operates within Famous Brands' broader portfolio of franchised and branded food-service businesses. The chain's typical offer includes pizzas, side dishes, desserts, and beverages, with ordering designed around restaurant, takeaway, delivery, and digital channels. Its market position is broadly that of an accessible, mid-market quick-service pizza chain rather than a full-service restaurant or premium artisan pizzeria. The brand has also developed community and inclusion initiatives. Its Doughnation program, launched in 2012, supports charities and communities in need in South Africa. In 2018, it ran a television campaign featuring a female same-sex couple and the message “Celebrate Different,” presenting tolerance and social diversity as part of the brand's public identity. Debonairs has received consumer and franchise recognition, including a first-place position for customer satisfaction in the fast-food category in the 2016 South African Customer Satisfaction Index and repeated recognition in the Sunday Times Top Brands awards.
History
Debonairs Pizza was established in 1991 at the Park Road Spar in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, by Craig MacKenzie and Andrew Harvey. The founders were university students, and the business began with limited capital. MacKenzie developed the idea after a gap-year trip to Los Angeles, where he encountered aspects of the American pizza and delivery model that helped shape the South African concept. From its beginning, Debonairs sought to differentiate itself through service rather than relying only on the product. It offered free delivery and used tuxedo-clad delivery staff with bow ties as a memorable visual signature. The first location was followed by restaurants in Umhlanga and Durban, establishing a base in KwaZulu-Natal before the brand moved toward broader national development. A major corporate turning point came in 1996, when the Steers Group acquired Debonairs. Steers later became part of Famous Brands, placing the pizza chain within one of Southern Africa's largest branded food-service groups. The acquisition supported the chain's franchise growth and supplied a larger organizational platform for purchasing, marketing, training, and network development. Debonairs began its international expansion in 1997 with a restaurant in Manzini, Eswatini. That year also marked a change in delivery operations, as the business began delivering food by vehicle. In 1998, the chain opened its 60th restaurant in Rivonia and received the South African Franchisor of the Year award from the Franchisee Association of South Africa. Its first television commercial aired in 1999, broadening the brand's national marketing presence. Brand communication evolved over the following decade. The tagline “We Deliver Smartly” was replaced by “It's the way you like it” in 2005, before the current “Try Something Different” positioning was introduced in 2011. The messaging reflected a continued emphasis on customization, menu novelty, and delivery convenience. In 2010, Debonairs adopted mobile ordering, a significant digital-commerce development for an African pizza chain at the time. The network continued to expand through franchised restaurants. In 2016, after 25 years in operation, Debonairs opened its 600th restaurant in Botshabelo. The chain passed 700 restaurants in 2020. By mid-2025, reported figures described 868 restaurants across 16 countries, most of them in Africa, with additional locations in the United Arab Emirates. The majority of outlets remained in South Africa, where the brand was described as the country's largest pizza restaurant chain as of 2018 and the largest chain in Famous Brands' portfolio by June 2025. Debonairs has also used social initiatives and advertising to broaden its public identity. It launched Doughnation in 2012 to work with South African charities and communities in need. In 2018, an advertising campaign called “Celebrate Different” featured a female same-sex couple and promoted tolerance of social and cultural differences. The campaign received positive public responses according to the cited reference material. Recognition has included consumer and industry awards. In 2016, Debonairs was voted South Africa's favorite pizza brand and third-favorite fast-food brand in the Sunday Times Top Brands awards. The same year, the South African Customer Satisfaction Index placed it first among fast-food restaurants for customer satisfaction, quality, and value for money. In 2019, the chain again won a Top Brands award and ranked second among favorite fast-food brands.
- 2025
Reported network reaches 868 restaurants
[1]By mid-2025, public reporting describes 868 restaurants across 16 countries.
- 2020
Network passes 700 restaurants
[1]The chain reaches another major network milestone amid continued franchise expansion.
- 2016
600th restaurant opens
[1]Debonairs marks 25 years of operation by opening its 600th restaurant in Botshabelo.
- 2010
Mobile ordering launches
[1]The chain becomes the first pizza brand in Africa reported to offer mobile ordering.
- 1999
First television commercial airs
[1]Debonairs expands its mass-market advertising through its first television commercial.
- 1998
The chain reaches 60 restaurants
[1]The 60th restaurant opens in Rivonia, and the brand receives the South African Franchisor of the Year award.
- 1997
International expansion begins
[1]Debonairs opens its first restaurant outside South Africa in Manzini, Eswatini, and begins vehicle-based food delivery.
- 1996
Steers Group acquires Debonairs
[1]The acquisition brings Debonairs into the corporate group that later becomes Famous Brands.
- 1991
Debonairs Pizza is founded in Pietermaritzburg
[1]Craig MacKenzie and Andrew Harvey establish the business at the Park Road Spar, introducing a delivery-focused pizza concept.
Products and positioning
Accessible, mid-market quick-service pizza franchise emphasizing delivery, menu variety, convenience, and distinctive marketing.
Core menu · 1991
Pizza
Pizza is Debonairs' central product category and the basis of its franchise identity. The brand is associated with a broad, distinctive menu designed for takeaway and delivery, with combinations intended to support its “Try Something Different” positioning. Specific menu items vary by market and are not enumerated in the supplied sources.
Quick-service food
Side dishes and desserts
The restaurant offer includes side dishes and desserts that complement the pizza range and support bundled meals. The supplied references do not provide a complete list of current items.
Drinks
Beverages
Beverages form part of the chain's standard quick-service menu and are commonly sold alongside pizzas and sides. Product-specific details were not provided in the reference material.
Ordering service · 1997
Delivery and mobile ordering
Delivery is a foundational Debonairs service proposition, dating to the chain's launch. The company introduced vehicle delivery in 1997 and mobile ordering in 2010, linking the brand's restaurant network to increasingly convenient ordering channels.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Celebrate Different
South Africa
A television campaign featured a female same-sex couple and encouraged audiences to acknowledge and celebrate differences in South African society and culture.
Outcome. The campaign received positive and encouraging public responses according to the cited reference.
- 2012Doughnation
South Africa
Debonairs launched Doughnation as a corporate social responsibility initiative supporting local charities and communities in need.
Outcome. The initiative became part of the brand's community-oriented public profile; detailed contribution figures were not provided.
Brand decisions
2011
Adoption of the “Try Something Different” taglineStrategyBackground
The brand had previously communicated through “We Deliver Smartly” and “It's the way you like it.”
Action taken
Debonairs changed its tagline to “Try Something Different,” emphasizing variety and differentiation.
Aftermath
The phrase became the chain's current reported tagline and supported its menu-innovation positioning.
2010
Introduction of mobile orderingProduct launchBackground
Delivery and convenience had been central to the brand since its founding.
Action taken
Debonairs introduced mobile ordering across its ordering proposition.
Aftermath
The move strengthened the chain's digital and delivery positioning and was reported as an African pizza-industry first.
1996
Acquisition by Steers GroupM&ABackground
Debonairs had developed from a small KwaZulu-Natal pizza business into a growing restaurant chain.
Action taken
Steers Group acquired Debonairs; the group later became associated with Famous Brands.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed Debonairs within a larger branded-food platform and preceded its broader franchise and international expansion.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/debonairs-pizza · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled