Franchise Development Manager

Pedros; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Pedros in Durban is seeking a commercially driven Franchise Development Manager to identify, attract and convert high-potential franchise partners to accelerate brand expansion across South Africa.

The role focuses on business development, acquiring franchises, managing the full conversion journey from initial contact through to onboarding, with oversight of pipeline progress and multi-site growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–8 years' experience in business development or franchise development.
• Experience building a franchise prospect pipeline and converting opportunities into partnerships.
• Experience in franchising, retail, hospitality, or multi-site growth environments is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Identify and engage prospective franchise partners to grow the brand.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified prospects.
• Manage the franchise application and onboarding process through to approval and contract.
• Coordinate with internal teams to ensure requirements are met before opening.
• Provide regular pipeline and growth reporting.

Skills

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Presentation skills

Pipeline management

Business development

Education

Relevant degree in Business/Marketing/Finance

Job description

Role Purpose

We are looking for a commercially driven Franchise Development Manager to identify, attract and convert high-quality prospective franchise partners to support the continued growth and expansion of our brands.

This is a business development and franchise acquisition role, focused on building a strong pipeline of prospective franchise partners and managing them through the full conversion journey — from initial engagement and qualification through commercial assessment, approval, contracting and successful onboarding.

Key Responsibilities

Franchise Partner Acquisition & Business Development

• Proactively identify and engage prospective franchise partners through networking, referrals, franchise channels, campaigns and direct business development activities.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified franchise prospects aligned to the Group's expansion plans.
• Develop relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, business owners and multi-unit operators who have the potential to become successful franchise partners.
• Present and promote the Group's franchise opportunities to prospective investors.
• Identify opportunities to expand the franchise network into priority markets and territories.

Prospect Qualification & Conversion

• Conduct initial discovery meetings with prospective franchise partners to understand their business experience, investment capability, motivations and growth ambitions.
• Assess prospects against defined financial, commercial, leadership and operational criteria.
• Evaluate financial readiness, available investment capital and the prospect's ability to successfully establish and operate a franchise business.
• Manage qualified prospects through the franchise application and approval process.
• Maintain momentum throughout the pipeline, proactively following up with prospects and driving opportunities towards conversion.
• Manage commercial discussions and expectations throughout the franchise development journey.

Franchise Partner Onboarding

• Guide approved franchise partners through the documentation, contracting and onboarding process.
• Coordinate with Legal, Finance, Real Estate, Development, Training and Operations to ensure all requirements are completed before opening.
• Act as the primary point of contact for new franchise partners throughout the development and onboarding journey.
• Ensure a professional and positive candidate experience from initial enquiry through to successful onboarding.
• Facilitate a structured handover of the new franchise partner to the relevant operational teams once onboarding is complete.

Pipeline & Growth Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of franchise enquiries, qualified prospects, applications, approvals and conversions.
• Track conversion rates and movement through the franchise development pipeline.
• Provide regular reporting on pipeline strength, expected conversions and potential barriers to growth.
• Use market and pipeline insights to identify opportunities to strengthen franchise partner acquisition.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant qualification in Business, Commerce, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship or a related field.
• Minimum 5–8 years' experience in Business Development, Franchise Development, Franchise Sales, Commercial Development or a similar growth-focused role.
• Demonstrated experience developing a prospect pipeline and converting opportunities into commercial partnerships or investments.
• Experience within franchising, retail, hospitality, property development or another multi-site growth environment would be advantageous.
• Strong commercial understanding, including the ability to engage confidently around investment requirements, business models and financial viability.
• Proven negotiation, influencing, presentation and relationship-building capability.
• Ability to manage a structured sales/development pipeline and multiple prospects at different stages simultaneously.
• Willingness to travel nationally as required.