Making it big with family in fast lane

New owner of 32 KFC outlets in region tells of his success

[caption id="attachment_93751" align="alignright" width="191"] FAMILY FEAST: AFFA Holdings CEO Fayyaz Moosa, whose family-owned company owns 32 KFC outlets - PICTURE: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption]

IF ONE has ambitions of excelling in business it is always important to have the right support structure, and for Fayyaz Moosa, the man behind the massive takeover of the KFC brand in Port Elizabeth, family is at the centre of his success.

Born in Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Moosa grew up in a business-orientated family who had their roots in the cooking oil industry in the mid 1990s.

Describing his outlook in the work environment, Moosa said he saw himself as an all-rounder, who was happy to move from the boardroom to having a broom in his hands when needed.

“I was mentored by my father, where I learnt how he did business. He instilled in me the values of trust and commitment and to also learn to believe in the people around you,” he said.

The family cooking oil business was founded and built by his father, AK Moosa, who is a prominent businessman in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

During the early 2000s, Moosa said he was instrumental in purchasing the edible oils division of Premier Foods in Gauteng, where he ran the operations of the entity until they formed a partnership with Wilmar International, the largest oil processing company in the world.

This partnership enabled Sunfoil to be at the forefront of oil processing in South Africa, with a vision to expand into the rest of the African market, he said.

However, this was not without its downside, as he found it difficult to settle into the corporate structure of the partnership.

“In 2012 I was given the task to handle our family investments and formed AFFA Holdings, where we looked to purchase businesses and grow our portfolio.

“This helped us bring back our family identity in how we do business. The partnership with Wilmar taught us how to operate on a global level.”

Moosa, who serves as the CEO of AFFA holdings, said the company, which operated as a private equity firm, purchased Metcash Group and implemented a turnaround strategy that changed the company’s fortunes before it was sold off to a suitable operator.

AFFA Holdings bought 32 KFCs, stretching from Port Elizabeth to East London, and to Jeffreys Bay, from the McWilliams family earlier this year.

Generosity, Support, Believe in yourself, Stand up and be counted. -Ayanda Mdluli