Pizza Hut opens first restaurant in Africa

Pizza Hut has announced aggressive expansion plans into Africa that will include the opening of dozens of restaurants across South Africa over the next three years. The inaugural outlet opened recently in Johannesburg and features menu items developed to cater to local tastes, with toppings that include Boerewors sausage and Peri-Peri sauce. The restaurant also offers free Wifi. The emerging continent -- population one billion people -- and South Africa’s growing middle class are eyed as ideal markets for the world’s largest pizza chain which already has 15,000 locations in 93 countries. In addition to opening dozens of more restaurant in South Africa over the next three years, parent company Yum! Brands says they’re also eyeing expansion into Namibia, Angola and Zambia in 2015. Sister brand KFC has already built a strong presence in South Africa with 735 restaurants, along with 250 restaurants in 16 other countries across Africa. Meanwhile, a successful South African export to the UK, US, Canada, Singapore -- and KFC rival -- is Nando’s, a casual dining restaurant that specializes in fiery Peri Peri-bathed, flame-grilled chicken.