Kenya Food Delivery Jumps 71% as Apps Transform Dining

Ordering fried chicken from your phone is now as common in Nairobi as standing in line used to be, and the numbers prove it.

Simbisa Brands, the company behind Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn, and Galitos, just reported a 71% jump in delivery orders across Kenya in the first three months of this year. Their restaurants now handle about 6,000 deliveries every single day.

The shift is bigger than just convenience. Delivery sales now make up nearly 30% of total revenue for some of their biggest brands, showing how apps like Glovo, Uber Eats, and Bolt Food have fundamentally changed the business model for restaurants across African cities.

In Kenya alone, these delivery partnerships helped bring in 3.5 million customers during the quarter, a 21% increase from last year. Revenue climbed 15% to $21.6 million, even as the average customer spent slightly less per order.

The company credits smart promotions and cheaper meal options for keeping people ordering despite inflation squeezing household budgets. Average spending per customer dropped 5% to $6.17, but the sheer volume of orders more than made up the difference.

Zimbabwe saw an even bigger delivery surge at 83%, driven by what the company calls "improved zoning efficiencies" and a growing fleet of delivery riders. The pattern is clear: in congested African cities where traffic can turn a 10-minute drive into an hour-long ordeal, delivery isn't just convenient. It's essential.

The Ripple Effect

This delivery boom is creating jobs beyond the restaurant counter. Simbisa runs its own fleet of delivery riders while also partnering with gig economy platforms, putting hundreds of people to work navigating city streets on motorcycles and bicycles.

The expansion comes with challenges. Fuel price increases in February, linked to Middle East supply disruptions, pushed up transport costs and squeezed profit margins. But Simbisa is pushing forward anyway, adding eight new locations in Kenya over the past year for a total of 259 counters, with 17 more stores planned this quarter across all their markets.

The company says it's focused on "balanced and sustainable growth" between delivery and walk-in customers, recognizing that the future of fast food in Africa needs both. As urban populations explode and smartphone adoption accelerates, the delivery trend shows no signs of slowing.

For millions of Kenyans and Zimbabweans, dinner is now just a few taps away.