Spur sales slump on Covid-19 lockdown restrictions

South Africa’s Spur Corporation said on Friday half-year total franchised restaurant sales dropped 29.5% due to Covid-19 trading restrictions and lower consumer disposable incomes.

The restaurant sector has been one of the hardest hit industries in South Africa as lockdown restrictions, curfews, cuts in seating capacity and a ban on the sale of alcohol have hammered profits, pushing some out of business.

Spur’s total sales fell to R2.9 billion ($192 million) for the six months ended December 31 from R4.1 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Sales from franchised restaurants declined by 31% in South Africa and by 17.3% in international restaurants in rand terms, the owner of the RocoMamas burger chain and Spur Steak Ranches said.

In December the South African government re-imposed some lockdown restrictions such as the ban on alcohol sales, longer night curfew hours and the closure of beaches.

This impacted Spur’s December sales, which declined by 25.8% in South Africa compared with a year earlier.