AFRICA
“ We try to localise as much as possible in Africa from a purely supply and sourcing perspective ,” says Davenport .
“ So , we work with suppliers in the countries we operate in , which is a significant contributor to local jobs , and we work in partnership to help develop local supply capability .”
As the company doesn ’ t look to compromise , Davenport does admit that it operates to an 80 / 20 rule , remaining open to some level of local adaptation to align with regional and local flavours .
“ But we absolutely don ’ t stray too far from the global Pizza Hut experience ,” he says . “ People are coming to Pizza Hut to have Pizza Hut after all .”
Say the name Pizza Hut anywhere in the world and a recognisable , consistent and ultimately successful brand comes to mind . So when Davenport speaks of people heading to Pizza Hut because they recognise that brand , how does that work across a continent where pizza is not as popular as other QSR brands ?
This is where technology , particularly accessibility , proves crucial to Pizza Hut . In the modern world , the consumer has technology at his or her fingertips , is digitally enabled in almost every aspect of their life and , more importantly , demands that same level of digital accessibility from brands such as Pizza Hut .
“ One of our big strategies across Africa is how can we expand and lead the charge in terms of digital access to our pizzas ,” he says . “ Online ordering is essential as mobile penetration is much greater than people realise in this region and Africa has a number of online tools that are relatively underutilised .
“ There is an opportunity , and as far as Pizza Hut goes , we will expand our online presence and ordering accessibility significantly over the next three months .”
Embarking on an expansive growth journey into a new geography , a new market that is already densely populated , cannot be achieved alone . As Pizza Hut works with local partners , in some cases growing their capabilities , Davenport cannot stress enough how important it is to have these local partners and establish
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