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Consumer services · Restaurants and franchising

Famous Brands

JSE-listed South African restaurant franchisor that grew from the Halamandres family’s Steers business.

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Historic restaurant and founding-family photographs from the Famous Brands story
Historic images published with BusinessTech’s account of George Halamandres and the Famous Brands story. Photo: BusinessTech · Source

Famous Brands is a listed restaurant franchisor with brand, manufacturing, logistics and retail operations. [4]

History

Its operating roots lie in the restaurant ventures that George Halamandres developed from the late 1950s. [2][6]

Steers Holdings incorporated in 1969, listed in 1994 and changed its name to Famous Brands in 2004. [1][3]

The group reported 15 brands and 3,043 restaurants at 28 February 2026. [4]

Ownership and management

Public shareholders held 93.5% of issued shares at 28 February 2026. [4]

Darren Hele remained chief executive when the interim results were signed on 21 October 2026. [5]

Frequently asked questions

What is Famous Brands?

It is a JSE-listed restaurant franchisor and integrated food services group. [4]

Who founded the business behind Famous Brands?

George Halamandres developed the original restaurant ventures. [1][2]

Who leads Famous Brands?

Darren Hele was chief executive when checked against the results signed on 21 October 2026. [5]

Key milestones

  1. Steers Holdings was incorporated. [6]

  2. Steers Holdings listed on the JSE. [1][3]

  3. The company changed its name to Famous Brands. [1]

  4. The group reported 15 brands and 3,043 restaurants. [4]

Founded / co-founded by

  • George Halamandres — South African restaurant founder who developed the ventures behind Steers and Famous Brands.

Company builders

  • Darren Hele — Chief executive of Famous Brands since 1 March 2016.

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Steers — South African restaurant brand that developed from George Halamandres’s early Johannesburg steakhouse ventures.
  • Debonairs Pizza — South African pizza brand founded in 1991 and acquired by Steers Holdings in 1997.
  • Wimpy South Africa — Casual dining restaurant brand whose first South African outlet opened in 1967 and which Famous Brands acquired in 2003.

Sources

  1. Famous Brands, Our journey to today, 2024-02-29. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩
  2. Famous Brands, Build compelling brands, 2024-02-29. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩
  3. Famous Brands, Group overview, 2025-02-28. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩
  4. Famous Brands, Consolidated and Company Financial Statements 2026, 2026-02-28. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩
  5. Famous Brands, Interim results for the six months ended 31 August 2026, 2026-10-21. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩
  6. BusinessTech, The man behind a R6.2 billion fast food empire in South Africa, 2024-10-05. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-11. ↩