- Simbisa Brands has fully decentralised its Zimbabwe operations, granting major brands operational and financial autonomy
- Each brand will now have its own leadership and support teams, managing profit and performance independently
- The restructuring aims to enhance agility and accountability amid Zimbabwe’s volatile economic environment
Harare - Simbisa Brands Limited, the quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, has embarked on a sweeping decentralisation of its operations, effective 1 July 2025, according to its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2025.
The restructuring is part of the group’s broader strategy to enhance performance and agility in a challenging economic environment.
Building on the brand-focused operating model introduced in FY2023, Simbisa has now decentralised its Zimbabwe operations , its largest market, with 335 outlets as of June 2025.
The new structure grants major brands such as Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn, Nando’s Zimbabwe, RocoMamas, and Creamy Inn independent management, financial autonomy, and brand-level accountability. Each will operate with its own leadership and support teams, effectively transforming Simbisa into a federation of self-managed business units.
“The decentralised structure assigns dedicated leadership and support functions to each brand, enhancing focus, accountability, and agility,” group chairperson Addington Bexley Chinake said.
Why Decentralisation, and Why Now
The move reflects both strategic necessity and economic pragmatism. Zimbabwe’s unstable macroeconomic environment marked by volatile exchange rates, policy uncertainty, a new 1% “Fast Food Tax” that cost Simbisa nearly US$1 million between January and June 2025 making the quick decision-making critical.
In such a climate, centralised structures often struggle to respond to weekly shifts in consumer spending and input costs. By delegating decision power to brand level, Simbisa aims to improve responsiveness, allowing its units to adjust pricing, promotions, and product strategies to regional conditions.
Lessons from Home
Closer to home, Simbisa’s parent, Innscor Africa Limited, has long managed semi-autonomous subsidiaries across manufacturing, retail, and distribution , each with its own board and management but strong central control over finance and capital allocation.
Simbisa’s shift takes this model further, pursuing deeper operational independence akin to multinational consumer groups. It’s a bold experiment in a market constrained by limited capital depth and complex regulation.
Learning from Global Models
Simbisa’s approach echoes models used by global restaurant giants such as Yum! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut) and Restaurant Brands International (Burger King, Tim Hortons). These firms operate portfolios of autonomous brands that preserve identity while sharing efficiencies in procurement, technology, and finance.
However, such models succeed only when supported by strong central systems ,shared service centres, robust data pipelines, and disciplined financial oversight. Without these, decentralisation can easily devolve into fragmentation.
Even global examples underscore the risks , Nando’s faced major franchise disputes in Australia after decentralising too aggressively, while Coca-Cola and Amazon have shown that autonomy works best when paired with unified governance and data-driven discipline.
The Double-Edged Sword of Autonomy
Decentralisation promises faster decision-making, innovation, and brand ownership at managerial level, often fostering high-performance cultures. Yet it also raises the risk of cost duplication, inconsistent execution, and governance gaps.
Each brand will now manage its own accounts, suppliers, and marketing. Without a strong audit backbone, Simbisa could face risks of financial leakage, compliance lapses, or uneven customer experiences.
What to Watch
The success of this shift will hinge on execution discipline. Simbisa must sustain economies of scale through shared services in procurement, supply chain, and finance, while enforcing uniform financial reporting and capital allocation standards.
Equally crucial is leadership depth grooming brand-level executives capable of balancing operational agility with strategic and financial accountability.
On the upside, the success of this decentralisation could set a benchmark for corporate transformation in Zimbabwe, demonstrating how freedom and oversight can coexist within a single enterprise. However, should costs escalate or controls weaken, the company risks turning autonomy into costly fragmentation.
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