Craig McKenzie and Andrew Harvey went from university students to building one of the most iconic pizza brands in South Africa, Debonairs Pizza. McKenzie grew up on a dairy farm in Ixopo and attended Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. After completing his matric and army service, he took a gap year in the United States, which turned into a trip that would ultimately inspire the creation of a pizza empire. In the USA, McKenzie first encountered pizza chains offering home delivery, which didn’t yet exist in South Africa. Despite being told the concept wouldn’t work due to the country’s security concerns and scepticism that “South Africans don’t eat pizza,” McKenzie saw a clear gap in the market.

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In today’s franchise marketplace, the most significant transformation is in information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed how prospective franchisees evaluate opportunities. They arrive with more data, analysis, and insights than ever. For the franchise salesperson, there are no more guarded conversations. You can’t control the flow of information. You’re the naked salesperson, and there’s no turning back. Before a conversation begins, today’s prospect likely knows your average unit volume, failure rate, initial investment breakdown, franchisee satisfaction score, and litigation history. They’ve read reviews on multiple platforms, consumed YouTube videos made by franchisees. 

For decades, franchise ownership has been driven by Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, but that tide is turning. In my work as a franchisor, I’ve noted a growing number of Millennials who feel ready to leave behind the “grind” of corporate life in favor of building something meaningful on their own terms. Franchising offers them structure, community and proven systems they crave, without the risk of starting from scratch. What’s more, I’m seeing firsthand how this generation’s priorities are reshaping what success looks like in our industry. Millennials aren’t just buying into brands.

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AI tools are great at producing polished assets. But they can’t walk into a franchise location and ask, “Why did you start this?” They can’t sense when someone is nervous on camera. They can’t wait for the moment a franchisee lets their guard down and says the thing that actually makes the story meaningful. Recently, during a shoot with a new franchise owner in the Midwest, she kept saying she wasn’t “good on camera.” So, the team slowed down and simply talked. A few minutes later, she said quietly: “I wanted my kids to see me build ”

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