All Article Properties:
{
"access_control": false,
"status": "publish",
"objectType": "Article",
"id": "1512950",
"signature": "Article:1512950",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-28-kfc-forced-to-temporarily-shut-some-sa-outlets-due-to-eskoms-rolling-blackouts/",
"shorturl": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/1512950",
"slug": "kfc-forced-to-temporarily-shut-some-sa-outlets-due-to-eskoms-rolling-blackouts",
"contentType": {
"id": "1",
"name": "Article",
"slug": "article"
},
"views": 0,
"comments": 2,
"preview_limit": null,
"excludedFromGoogleSearchEngine": 0,
"title": "KFC forced to temporarily shut some SA outlets due to Eskom’s rolling blackouts",
"firstPublished": "2022-12-28 20:31:10",
"lastUpdate": "2022-12-28 20:31:10",
"categories": [
{
"id": "9",
"name": "Business Maverick",
"signature": "Category:9",
"slug": "business-maverick",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/business-maverick/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "29",
"name": "South Africa",
"signature": "Category:29",
"slug": "south-africa",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/south-africa/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "387188",
"name": "Maverick News",
"signature": "Category:387188",
"slug": "maverick-news",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/maverick-news/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
}
],
"content_length": 2142,
"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC made the terse announcement on its official Twitter account this week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are sorry, but due to the ongoing load shedding, some of our restaurants will be temporarily closed, while others may have limited availability on some of your favourite menu items.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We apologise for the inconvenience and will be back soon,” it said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No further details were provided, including which or how many restaurants are affected. Presumably it is franchises that cannot afford back-up power systems or those located in strip malls that are also at the mercy of Eskom’s inability to keep the lights on all the time. </span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/70-kfc-outlets-in-pretoria-kzn-closed-for-now-as-load-shedding-disrupts-supplies-20221228\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">News24 reported</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that about 70 stores have been closed, citing a spokesperson. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The closures, of course, mean that many employees will be temporarily out of work in an economy with an unemployment rate of well over 40%, if discouraged jobseekers are included. </span>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Visit <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage\"><em>Daily Maverick's</em> home page</a> for more news, analysis and investigations</strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC has 925 stores in South Africa, according to the </span><a href=\"https://locations.kfc.co.za/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC store location website</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and most of these are franchises, so local businesspeople are losing revenue. Cholesterol levels may get lowered, but so ultimately will gross domestic product, the economy’s beating heart. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC is a unit of Yum!, a US-listed fast food giant with a market capitalisation of $36.6-billion and a share price that is near record highs. When such companies do business in overseas markets, the boardroom pays attention. And so KFC’s current woes in South Africa send a bad signal to foreign investors. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will be of more than passing interest to see if other fast food outlets in South Africa will be forced to adopt similar measures in the face of mounting power outages. Does the fate of the Double Crunch in some locations also await Big Macs and King Steer burgers in others? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has been a record year for load shedding and rolling power blackouts, and KFC may just be the canary in a fast food coal mine. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC has its secret “eleven herbs and spices”, but there seems to be no recipe at the moment to fix Eskom and the damage it is inflicting on South Africa’s economy. </span><b>DM/BM</b>",
"teaser": "KFC forced to temporarily shut some SA outlets due to Eskom’s rolling blackouts",
"externalUrl": "",
"sponsor": null,
"authors": [
{
"id": "24158",
"name": "Ed Stoddard",
"image": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ed-stoddard.png",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/author/ed-stoddard/",
"editorialName": "ed-stoddard",
"department": "",
"name_latin": ""
}
],
"description": "",
"keywords": [
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "2741",
"name": "Eskom",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/eskom/",
"slug": "eskom",
"description": "Eskom is the primary electricity supplier and generator of power in South Africa. It is a state-owned enterprise that was established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission (ESCOM) and later changed its name to Eskom. The company is responsible for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity to the entire country, and it is one of the largest electricity utilities in the world, supplying about 90% of the country's electricity needs. It generates roughly 30% of the electricity used\r\nin Africa.\r\n\r\nEskom operates a variety of power stations, including coal-fired, nuclear, hydro, and renewable energy sources, and has a total installed capacity of approximately 46,000 megawatts. The company is also responsible for maintaining the electricity grid infrastructure, which includes power lines and substations that distribute electricity to consumers.\r\n\r\nEskom plays a critical role in the South African economy, providing electricity to households, businesses, and industries, and supporting economic growth and development. However, the company has faced several challenges in recent years, including financial difficulties, aging infrastructure, and operational inefficiencies, which have led to power outages and load shedding in the country.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick has reported on this extensively, including its recently published investigations from the Eskom Intelligence Files which demonstrated extensive sabotage at the power utility. Intelligence reports obtained by Daily Maverick linked two unnamed senior members of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet to four criminal cartels operating inside Eskom. The intelligence links the cartels to the sabotage of Eskom’s power stations and to a programme of political destabilisation which has contributed to the current power crisis.",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Eskom",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "4120",
"name": "Economy",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/economy/",
"slug": "economy",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Economy",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "13652",
"name": "Fast food",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/fast-food/",
"slug": "fast-food",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Fast food",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "51092",
"name": "KFC",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/kfc/",
"slug": "kfc",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "KFC",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "132321",
"name": "Load Shedding",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/load-shedding/",
"slug": "load-shedding",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Load Shedding",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "347692",
"name": "Ed Stoddard",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/ed-stoddard/",
"slug": "ed-stoddard",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Ed Stoddard",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "380427",
"name": "rolling blackouts",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/rolling-blackouts/",
"slug": "rolling-blackouts",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "rolling blackouts",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "393164",
"name": "South Africa power crisis",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/south-africa-power-crisis/",
"slug": "south-africa-power-crisis",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "South Africa power crisis",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "393165",
"name": "Yum!",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/yum/",
"slug": "yum",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Yum!",
"translations": null
}
}
],
"short_summary": null,
"source": null,
"related": [],
"options": [],
"attachments": [
{
"id": "87504",
"name": "",
"description": "",
"focal": "50% 50%",
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"transforms": [
{
"x": "200",
"y": "100",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/561i_yOWix2SaUvJHvkez6EBf8A=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg"
},
{
"x": "450",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/ZB4W9COlgzh6WoM_KN0FZh12Ktc=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg"
},
{
"x": "800",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/tqySB-W-GxNtus3VMSwL7JlYkGU=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg"
},
{
"x": "1200",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/FJ5_Xti0UQEeqAM7dMViUZF765c=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg"
},
{
"x": "1600",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/FvIuAmDCi5OZ8jVmYMNMeXm3kw8=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg"
}
],
"url_thumbnail": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/561i_yOWix2SaUvJHvkez6EBf8A=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"url_medium": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/ZB4W9COlgzh6WoM_KN0FZh12Ktc=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"url_large": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/tqySB-W-GxNtus3VMSwL7JlYkGU=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"url_xl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/FJ5_Xti0UQEeqAM7dMViUZF765c=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"url_xxl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/FvIuAmDCi5OZ8jVmYMNMeXm3kw8=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/af769bee2a3bc09d63a24a6e35169340.jpeg",
"type": "image"
}
],
"summary": "Eskom’s record-breaking bouts of load shedding mean less chicken will get fried this festive season. KFC has said it has to temporarily close some of its South African restaurants because of power outages. KFC is a unit of US-listed fast food giant Yum! so this state of affairs sends a bad signal to foreign investors. \r\n",
"template_type": null,
"dm_custom_section_label": null,
"elements": [],
"seo": {
"search_title": "KFC forced to temporarily shut some SA outlets due to Eskom’s rolling blackouts",
"search_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC made the terse announcement on its official Twitter account this week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are sorry, but due to the ongoing load sheddin",
"social_title": "KFC forced to temporarily shut some SA outlets due to Eskom’s rolling blackouts",
"social_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KFC made the terse announcement on its official Twitter account this week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are sorry, but due to the ongoing load sheddin",
"social_image": ""
},
"cached": true,
"access_allowed": true
}