Morne Cronje

Morne Cronje, Head of Franchising at FNB writes: Nearly eleven months after South Africa’s lockdown was first declared, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the effect that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to have on our society and economy in 2021. Nevertheless, it is worth considering how one particularly hard-hit industry is expected to evolve in the context of the continued pandemic and difficult economic outlook. According to research by the Franchise … [Read more...] about 5 Trends affecting the evolution of franchises post Covid-19

17 August 2020: "We know that our economy is challenging, and that the world is changing rapidly. The novel coronavirus has brought more challenges for our economies, in South Africa and around the world. The ability to “quickly reconfigure strategy, structure, processes, people, and technology toward value-creating and value-protecting opportunities” – McKinsey’s useful definition of agility– is key to survival in this environment, especially with the challenges that we are currently faced … [Read more...] about The importance of agility for a franchisee in the times of Covid-19

Agility is key in helping businesses accelerate growth In these prevailing tough economic conditions where competition continues to intensify, customer loyalty is being tested and profit margins are coming under pressure, businesses need to remain resilient and agile. Morne Cronje, Head of Franchising at FNB Business says, “changing market conditions and evolving customer needs require businesses to be agile and respond quickly in order to take advantage of opportunities and proactively … [Read more...] about Businesses need to remain resilient and agile

Keeping staff motivated while having to work abnormal hours can be challenging during the busy festive season. Morne Cronje, FNB Head of Franchising says the most common issues that businesses deal with during the festive season include distractions, demotivated staff and low productivity. For some businesses, such as food franchises, this can often be the busiest and most profitable time of the year. As a result, businesses cannot afford to make any mistakes. “As a business owner, it is … [Read more...] about Keeping staff motivated over the festive season

Franchise business owners are waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the 2019 National Budget Speech to be delivered by Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, as they seek more opportunities to increase their contribution to GDP. Morne Cronje, FNB Head of Franchising, says the Budget Speech is an important economic indicator that franchises can use to gain insight on the government’s plans on spending and economic growth for the year ahead. He highlights potential National Budget Speech … [Read more...] about What franchises need to lookout for from the Budget Speech

The franchising industry has steadily shown adaptability to the tough economy by growing the sector 3,6% over the past four years – from contributing an estimated 9,7% to the country’s GDP in 2014 to its recent figure of 13,3%. This trend is expected to continue in the same trajectory in the short-term and could possibly improve should SA see better economic growth. According to a survey conducted by the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA), 78% of most franchisors are optimistic … [Read more...] about 2018’s Five Key Franchising Trends