In the beginning... there was chicken and it was good. So good!

Everybody loves chicken. Fact! And South Africans are no exception.

4 decades ago the way we thought (and felt) about chicken changed forever thanks to the taste phenomenon we now know as KFC. Thats right; KFC is proudly celebrating our 40th year under the South African sun.

These are our stories. Your memories of finger lickin' goodness that have marked the special occasions in your life and the KFC moments that you'll never forget...

Thank you for helping us to make KFC a South African institution.
Here's to the next 40!

40 fans for 40 years
Read the stories:
  • Anastacia Mohanlall
  • Jill Stubbs
  • Lydia Ferreira
  • Monique Leendertz
  • Morongoe Matheleli
  • Paul Hansen
  • Shelvine Erasmus
  • Sume Burger
  • Yashmitha Padayachee
  • Zinhle Msomi
  • Belinda Burdett
  • Nolwazi Zele
  • Larna Mawa
  • Alicia Nell
  • Palesa Mangoale
  • Kamogelo Gaesite
  • Precious Modisha
  • Shannon Moonsammy
  • Bernadette Le Roux
  • Miyelani Mathebula
  • Silindile Mnyandu
  • Ronny Machie
  • Jennifer Roberts
  • Martienette Jansen
  • Emmy van der Walt
  • Charlene Mulaudzi
  • Caitlyn Book
  • Katherine Brink
  • Abel Reyners
  • Henry Minish
  • Terence Sinclair
  • Tawrieq Sydow
  • Annemarie Smit
  • Lloyd Wybrow
  • Jamie Leeuwendaal
  • Dawn Wallenkamp
  • Vuyolwethu Kakana
  • Bianca Brimiah
  • Evangeline Roxas
  • Juette Earnest

  • Anastacia MohanlallWhen I think of KFC "so good" moments, I’m reminded of all the people I’ve lost over the past few years. Our family get-togethers at the beach always included a barrel of KFC. I also remember working with my mum and getting a lift home with a family friend’s son in the evenings. Every Thursday our friend’s grandchildren would be in the car because they knew their grandfather had been paid and they’d be getting Streetwise Two. Our friend has since passed away, but I think his family still continues with that tradition. Today my sons also believe pay day is KFC-Day for them. I’ll also let you in on a little secret – when I was dating my hubby, I always suggested we get KFC because I didn’t want him to find out I couldn’t cook!

  • Jill StubbsAs school kids, we were often rewarded with KFC when we did well in athletics. And yes, I participated because I simply loved KFC burgers and chips. I even became the javelin record holder in my age group for Boland Sports from 1993 to 1995, all thanks to KFC – because it’s just "so good"!

  • Lydia FerreiraMy son Tristan is 11 and quite small for his age. One day he came home from school complaining that he was as hungry as a horse. He’d saved all his weekly tuck shop money and I suggested he buy two snack burgers. His reply was; "Mom KFC now has a Man Sized Meal and I'm not a baby anymore." So, as you can see, he came out of KFC fully loaded with a Man Sized Meal. He just loves KFC!

  • Monique LeendertzMy son Caden is seven years old now and just loves KFC. Since he was about two and a half he started collecting R5 fines from people who used bad language. This was entirely his own initiative and when asked what he was going to use the money for, he’d tell you with a big smile on his face – "Kentuckies".

  • Morongoe MatheleliIn primary school we attended kids’ camps every year. At one of our camps, the camp-master bought several buckets of KFC for us. It was a great day – we all over-indulged and played games to see who could finish their chicken first.

  • Paul HansenI'll never forget the feeling of standing in the Fish Hoek KFC with my parents in 1977. It was so exciting when they shouted your order through a small hole into the kitchen. It’s just as exciting for my two kids today as it was for me then. Some people say the flavour has changed, but to me it's still exactly the same. I'm your greatest fan.

  • Shelvine ErasmusWhen I was 10 I lived in a little place called Atlantis on the west coast of Cape Town. Every Saturday morning I had karate, which coincided with my family’s excursion to Cape Town to do the shopping. I was always torn between going to karate and going to town. My mom would always persuade me to do karate by promising to bring me something "lekker". This was almost always a KFC Rounder with spicy rice. Sadly, my mom passed away last January, but every time I eat a Rounder, I’m reminded of her and that happy time in my life.

  • Sume BurgerMy boyfriend and I dated secretly last year. One Sunday my parents paid me a surprise visit. Luckily we spotted them in time and escaped out the back door, over the wall and into the grounds of the town’s private swimming pool.  After much ducking and diving, my boyfriend got to his car and I went up to my flat to inform my parents I’d been at the pool with friends and that we were going to Paarl to see Step Up3D. They left and my boyfriend returned with KFC Zinger Wings and Twisters. We decided to have a picnic at Bainskloof Pass in Wellington to get over the stress of our lucky escape. I will never forget that special day we shared with KFC.

  • Yashmitha PadayacheeWhen my son was about four months old, I’d let him chew on the ends of my Zinger Wings. Now he’s one year and five months old and we can’t drive past a KFC without stopping. Initially we bought him mash, but now he’s progressed to a drumstick and packet of chips. The staff members at Reservoir Hills KFC know me very well – they remember the days when I was addicted to Zinger Wings during my pregnancy and they continue to see me frequently when I visit with my son.

  • Zinhle MsomiWhen I was a child my dad would come home with a bucket of KFC and the person who had passed with flying colours would get to choose their best piece of chicken. If you failed, you didn’t get to choose, but were given a piece. Ooh, it was crazy, but I loved it… And knowing we could choose our best piece of KFC chicken kept us motivated at school.

  • Belinda Burdett In February next year it will be 10 years since I celebrated my 40th birthday with KFC. I’d invited about 40 people to celebrate with me and couldn’t decide whether to braai or serve a cooked meal, but this meant I’d have to prepare all the food. In the end I decided to buy a couple of KFC buckets and make some salads.  It was a huge hit. After all, everyone loves KFC! Now, with my 50th birthday around the corner, there’s no doubt about what I’ll be serving my guests - definitely KFC!

  • Nolwazi ZeleWe stayed with my grandmother in the former Transkei, but my favourite memory is of travelling to town to visit my mother during the school holidays. She would take us shopping to buy groceries and clothes and then we’d go to KFC for a treat. I was always so excited and happy. Those were the times I felt the most loved – and all because my mom bought KFC!

  • Larna Mawa40 years holds a lifetime of memories and good moments with KFC. I was introduced to this truly South African heritage in 1989 when I moved to SA. Orange Grove was just down the road from my new home in Yeoville and so was KFC. I remember KFC being a regular meal during the 1995 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, as well as the 2010 Soccer World Cup. And I was one of the first people to call on KFC to rescue the weekend when the Rugby World Cup was on this year. I also remember the KFC bucket being a regular travelling companion to many of my son’s school rugby and cricket matches. KFC was and still is the saving grace for many working mums, who are too tired to slog it out at the stove. It’s also a special treat for kids and grandparents. So yes, let’s celebrate 40 years of KFC being part of our families.

  • Alicia NellWeekends are not made for cooking. That’s why we always order takeaways at least once on a weekend. We generally give the kids a choice of different places to order from. They can choose burgers, hotdogs, pizzas…. but their resounding choice is always for chicken and chips from KFC!

  • Palesa MangoaleWhen I attend ZCC church conferences in Moria with my family, I make sure I buy enough KCF to last us at least three days. If I forget, I know I’ll have to go to the nearest KFC in Turfloop or my family simply won’t forgive me. As for my little boy, he wants Krushers every weekend or he won’t go outside and play with his friends. If this happens, his daddy and I won’t get to spend some quality time together. Thanks for keeping my family together, KFC!

  • Kamogelo GaesiteWhen my mom got her first real job as a domestic worker about 15 or 16 years ago, she took me and my siblings out for a meal at KFC for the first time. It was the first time I had eaten out or eaten any fast food. I’ll never forget that moment.

  • Precious ModishaWhen my little cousin began to get below average marks at school, I started teaching her the basics. At the end of the quarter she got 91% for maths and 89% for economics. Our feel good moment was when I treated her to a meal at KFC in Bushbuckridge.

  • Shannon MoonsammyMy favourite KFC memory is the day I ordered Zinger Wings and the cashier told me they’d been on promotion and weren’t available anymore. I looked at her and said; "You’re joking, right?" When she said she was serious, I started tearing up. She said she was sorry to make me cry and promised to organise some Zinger Wings for me. My sad face brightened and my tears dried up instantly. Until today, I laugh at myself every time I walk into a KFC. Thanks for the tastiest wings ever!

  • Bernadette Le RouxI can still remember the days when you could buy chicken livers in sauce at KFC. I was about eight years old at the time and it was my dad’s treat. We used to dedicate Friday and Sunday nights as "KFC – Keep Friends Chirpy" nights, and believe me, the friends who joined us, enjoyed them as much as we did! Now I have my own kids and still treat Friday and Sunday nights as KFC Treat Nights. Today there are no livers, but there is ice-cream and milkshake. Njammies! Thank you KFC – you are a Proudly South African affiliate.

  • Miyelani MathebulaI remember travelling to town with my mom. I would get really excited because I knew we’d go to KFC, which was a big deal for those of us who came from the village. One time I hid two drumsticks in my pocket and sold them to my friends in the village for R8.

  • Silindile MnyanduWhen my siblings and I did well at school, my mom rewarded us with KFC. Those were my best KFC moments. Now I’ve passed the tradition onto my daughter. Besides it being just a normal meal, she knows when she gets KFC, she has performed well.

  • Ronny MachieMy father passed away when I was 11 years old and my four siblings and I grew up in a rural village in Mpumalanga. Without my father around, my mom found it hard to raise us, especially since she was unemployed. Somehow she managed and in 2003 I completed matric and some years later enrolled to study at Unisa. My "so good" moment was on 2 October 2011 when we unveiled my father’s tombstone. On the same day I met some of my family elders, who I didn’t even know existed. I’ll never forget that day. Thank-you KFC.

  • Jennifer Roberts It was my birthday on Saturday 12th November and I had made so many plans as part of my celebration, however it wasn’t meant to be. I came down with flu, my whole body was aching and I was feeling very ill. When my brother phoned to wish me, I told him I was sick and that I couldn’t even get out of bed to make something to eat. To my surprise there was a knock at the door an hour later and there was my brother with KFC! He really is my Hero and saved me from going to bed hungry!

  • Martinette JansenLet me start by saying, KFC has been a member of my family all my life and we’ve shared lots of so good moments. There is no meal on this earth that gives an elderly person, such as my grandmom, the biggest smile, happiness and look of fulfilment quite like KFC. When we were children I remember KFC being a treat the whole family could enjoy. We’d all jump into the car and go to our KFC, we’d order and then excitedly get our meal home where we’d all sit around chatting, laughing and eating like Kings. Thank you KFC for being part of my family, always have been, always will!

  • Emmy van der WaltMy greatest feel good moment was nine years ago, when my husband took me up Table Mountain and proposed to me. We spent the afternoon on the mountain and drank champagne, but the nicest feeling of all coming down the mountain, getting a barrel of KFC in Goodwood and eating it on the beach. It filled our tummies just enough to keep us going until our celebratory party. And guess what was on the table? Platters of KFC with mash, coleslaw – you name it – it was all there!

  • Charlene MulaudziBefore I fell pregnant I thought I had had enough of KFC, because I’d eaten too much of it over the years. But during my pregnancy I fell in love with it all over again! Whenever I ate it my son, still in my tummy, would kick and kick, as if he wanted to his own! My hubby would buy it often to treat me, especially when he wanted to see the baby bump all jolly.

  • Caitlyn BookEvery moment with KFC is so good. My boyfriend and I have been together since we were 14 years old (we are 21 now) and our favourite thing to do is to buy KFC, go down to the nearest beach and either sit in the car or on the beach benches and just appreciate our food and each other. KFC will always hold a special place in my heart for all the wonderful memories and special moments it helped create.

  • Katherine BrinkWhen we were in the process of adopting a little boy, our first outing was to KFC. The entire family was there to meet him for the first time and share in the auspicious occasion. Our little family member had never eaten out or visited a KFC and he wolfed down everything on his plate. He has loved KFC ever since and it’s definitely become one of his favourite places to eat.

  • Abel ReynersIt was about 11 months ago I when to KFC in Greenpoint. I was feeling really depressed and was not in the mood to talk to anyone. I ordered a streetwise two and when I collected my order, one of you cashiers handed me an ice cream cone. I was surprised, as I hadn’t ordered it! They smiled at said the guy that was just here bought it for me! I tried to run after him to thank him but he was nowhere to be seen. As I walked along I enjoyed the cone with a smile and just as I went to throw the napkin away there was his phone number. I gave him a call and now we’re happily involved.

  • Henry MinishMy best "feel good" KFC moment was watching Idols in July this year with my four-year old son. We were singing along to the songs, eating KFC and discussing Randall's scathing comments. I was just thinking about how advanced my son was when a KFC commercial came onto the screen and he shouted out 'licking good finger!"

  • Terence SinclairWhen I was a kid, my dad would come home with a bucket (polystyrene those days) of KFC every Friday night for his six children. It was a special treat and we looked forward to those Friday nights so much. Today, my family still enjoys KFC and I take my kids for a KFC treat at least three times a month.

  • Tawrieq SydowMy standout memory of KFC always takes me back to one particular childhood memory… Friday nights were always family date nights for us and our favourite thing to do was go to the Goodwood Drive-in. Our 1st stop was always at the Voortrekker Rd KFC where we’d order a KFC bucket, chips, mini loafs/rolls & coldslaw - way better than popcorn and a soda We’d park in our favourite spot in front of the big screen, bring speaker into the car and relax while enjoying our yummy KFC meal.

  • Annemarie SmitMy fiancé works in Botswana and every Tuesday and Sunday, my music-loving two-month old boy and I watch Idols and enjoy KFC takeaways. When my fiancé is home at the end of every month, he joins us in what is fast becoming a weekly family ritual.

  • Lloyd WybrowMy grandmother loves KFC so much that when my grandparents (Eddie and Elucius) celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary, my grandfather decided to buy KFC to mark the event. While we were sitting around eating, the KFC ad featuring an elderly couple and (name of song) by Elton John came on. It really was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. On seeing the ad, my grandparents were prompted to reminisce about their lives – we got to hear about the time they met, their courtship, their marriage, their kids and their careers. It was incredible. Thank-you KFC for making the day so memorable.

  • Jamie LeeuwendaalKFC means quality time with my family. My mother used to love KFC so much, especially the streetwise 2 with a side breast and a coke. Sadly, she passed away three weeks ago. The night she passed away there was no time to prepare supper so our family bought KFC in memory of her. KFC is special to me as it reminds me of my loving mother and her love for KFC. My her soul RIP. KFC is finger looking good.

  • Dawn WallenkampMy favourite KFC moment happened two weeks ago, our friends came out from Russia to get married here in South Africa. On their first day here they picked us up, went to KFC, bought a wonderful feast and we all shared our memories whilst picnicking on divine food.  The children loved the taste and we all had a really awesome time getting together, talking about the wedding plans and catching up.

  • Vuyolwethu KakanaI don’t really have one “So Good” moment. My younger days were spent in the Eastern Cape and I remember KFC being part of my family from those early days. It was around long before any other food outlets came onto the scene. For me, it has always been a place to go to for some fun and enjoy good food. It’s also a place that ALL South Africans frequent – all ages, races and level of income earners – it epitomises the diversity of our country. KFC is truly a place where everyone feels comfortable spending some time.

  • Bianca BrimiahI decided to host a party for kids at an orphanage for my 21st birthday. After conducting some research, I discovered that the V. Naik School for the deaf takes care of children who do not go home to their folks every day. They stay in their dormitory and given basic sandwiches for meals, unless a donor gives them a good meal. I decided to give them a treat by hosting a party in honour of their enthusiasm for life, despite the things they lack.  My family and I planned a whole afternoon of fun for them, from a professional magician (the internationally acclaimed MoMagic), to sweets, ice cream and, of course, a KFC Streetwise meal each. The atmosphere was electric and the children enjoyed the day thoroughly.

  • Evangeline RoxasOn 27 April 2010 I celebrated my birthday (yes, on Freedom Day) with a close group of friends in Fish Hoek. Thanks to 21 pieces of “so good” hot and fresh chicken we had a wonderful time. And, just so you know, I will be marrying my “so good” loyal KFC chicken lover, Ashley Gordon, in December this year.

  • Juette EarnestWe recently went to KFC and ordered our favourite Spicy Wings, coleslaw and gravy. Then we paid and went home – without our order! On discovering our mistake, we rushed back and got our meal, as well as some ice-cream. By the time we got to eat we were so famished that we enjoyed it twice as much. It was…..so good!