When Asanda Maqabuka started Chicken Bar, it wasn’t part of a detailed plan; it was an emotional decision made during a family crisis. Her mother had become seriously ill, and their franchise business had failed, leaving them with debt and only a container kitchen.
“Chicken Bar was started just to save my home,” Maqabuka mentions. “We had been sold a dream that went wrong. I moved back to Mthatha and decided to rebrand and build something my mom would be proud of.”
That difficult beginning became the foundation for one of South Africa’s most exciting township-based fast food brands.
A Business for the People
Chicken Bar was created to serve a market often ignored by the big players, the everyday South African in townships and semi-urban areas. “People in LSM 4–7 weren’t offered healthy, fresh fast food. They were not being offered premium value,” Maqabuka highlights.
She knew from her upbringing that working-class communities deserved better. “I grew up understanding the value of hard work and the power of community,” she says. “Those lessons taught me you don’t build for the top 1%. You build for the people around you.”
Chicken Bar combines flame-grilled flavour with a township-inspired brand and a modern, tech-driven customer experience. WhatsApp loyalty programmes, locally adapted menus, and a strong identity make the business both relatable and driven by innovation.
From Bootstrapping to Breakthrough
Like many entrepreneurs, Maqabuka struggled in the beginning. Without funding, staff, or strong suppliers, she did what she could with what she had. “Getting people to believe in the vision before it was tangible was the biggest challenge,” she explains. “I bootstrapped, stayed obsessed with product quality, and if I’m brutally honest with you, it was just courage, storytelling, a prayer and a dream.”
Eventually, that determination paid off. Chicken Bar began to grow, and more importantly, it began to gain recognition for its unique approach.
Support from Grindstone and MIC
The real breakthrough came when Chicken Bar became the first business funded through Grindstone Ventures and the MIC female founder initiative. “It gave me life and completely changed the path of my family and my business,” Maqabuka declares. “It felt like the world was finally catching up to the vision.”
She admits she once doubted accelerator programmes. “I always believed that female entrepreneurs in South Africa are incubated so much that it’s annoying and time-consuming for growth,” she says. “But I was wrong.”
The Grindstone programme helped her strengthen Chicken Bar’s franchise model and improve its financial and legal structure. “Thandiwe Maqetuka, Grindstone Ventures CEO, made me think so differently and deeply about my business. It was intimidating, but one of the most important lessons I have learnt,” she says.
Franchising for Shared Success
Today, Chicken Bar is growing, but it’s not just about expansion for profit. “I didn’t want to build a company where only I succeed,” Maqabuka shares. “I wanted a platform for shared ownership.”
Franchising allows her to open more stores while supporting other entrepreneurs. The strategy focuses on township and urban-edge areas using container stores to reduce rent and keep costs low.
With MIC’s investment, Chicken Bar will open two more stores and pursue SETA-accredited training. “We will use it to empower ordinary South Africans and create much-needed jobs in the townships,” Maqabuka elaborates on her vision.
She encourages other Black female entrepreneurs to believe in themselves and take bold steps. “Believe that your story is powerful. Get comfortable talking about money and metrics. Don’t wait for permission. Start where you are, with what you have,” she emphasises. “And more importantly,” she smiles. “Stalk the hell out of Grindstone’s pages and join any cohort they have. You will never be the same.”
Looking Ahead to the Future
In the next 5 to 10 years, Maqabuka sees Chicken Bar in every major township and city across South Africa and, one day, across the continent. She wants it to grow beyond food into a platform for technology, job creation, and entrepreneurship.
“I want Chicken Bar to stand as proof that township-born brands can go national and even global,” she says. “And to be honest, I just want to make my mom proud and thank her for believing in me.”
