DURBAN - The upcoming International Franchise Expo (IFE 2019) hosted by Ithala is coming to Durban on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th March 2019 at the Durban Exhibition Centre.
"In our volatile world, franchising is the one business method that continues to grow at an exponential rate - offering people from all walks of life an alternative to employment and a chance for independent self-employment. Contributing a steady 15,7 percent to the country’s GDP, the franchising sector is found in a myriad of business categories making it a vital economic force and one of the dominant organisational forms of our time," said Martha Mashele, IFE’s Expo Manager.
The Franchise Expo, under the auspices of FASA (Franchising Association of Southern Africa) reflects the mood of entrepreneurship that is being encouraged by both government and the private sector.
According to Mashele, the franchise sector in South Africa contributes more to GDP than many other sectors including manufacturing and agriculture and within the context of small business development, has an extremely important role to play, not only in skills transfer and job creation but in affording ordinary people the opportunity to become successful
The Franchise Expo is your one-stop shop – from purchasing FASA’s franchise manual that gives you the background to what franchising is all about, to the talks by experts who will advise you on everything from funding to the legalities of franchising.
The Expo brings over 40 franchise and business opportunities, expert advice on franchising and funding as well as daily talks and seminars.
A wide range of franchise concepts will be on show at IFE, offering investment opportunities from the lower-entry level, small home-based or man-in-a-van concepts to well-known brands.
Food franchising is still one of the most popular sectors and there are some great opportunities at IFE – from the familiar Mike’s Kitchen, Maxi’s, Chip n Dip and The Fish & Chip Co to exciting new, up-and-coming food brands such as Ko-Lay, Nkunku Box, Faizal Flame Grilled and Pedros Flame Grilled Chicken.
Education & Training franchises are an important sector as they offer opportunities from early-learning to adult upliftment programmes as well as extra-mural activities.
The Services Sector is a growing sector that includes categories such as Automotive Products and Services, Building, Office & Home Services and Business to Business Services.
General business opportunities in retail and other areas will also be selling their concepts including the wide range of income-generating machines from Zhaun’s and Pfirestorm.
Support Services to the franchise industry include funding institutions like Ithala, Business Partners and the Masisizane Fund will be on hand to elaborate on their funding offerings and Sure-Swipe will offer information on their mobile card payment systems.