Darren Hele

Chief Executive Officer, Famous Brands

Darren Hele is Chief Executive Officer of Famous Brands, in the role since 2016.

Famous Brands franchises restaurant brands including Steers, Debonairs Pizza, Wimpy and Mugg & Bean, with 3 070 restaurants in 21 countries. Hele earned R13.963 million in the year to February 2026.

In the job

  1. Famous Brands reported a 5.6% rise in revenue to R8.7 billion and a 4.5% rise in operating profit for the year to February 2026. Source

  2. Famous Brands reported first-half revenue up 2.3% to R4.34 billion and a network of 3 070 restaurants, including 81 drive-thrus. Source

Career before

  1. 2003Managing director, Wimpy (when Famous Brands bought it)
  2. Chief executive, Food Services, Famous Brands

Sources

  1. ewn.co.za
  2. businesstech.co.za
  3. dailyinvestor.com
  4. engineeringnews.co.za
  5. fm.co.za
  6. en.wikipedia.org

Facts last checked 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

More profiles

All profiles
Hospitality and leisure Marcel von Aulock Chief Executive Officer, Southern Sun
Hospitality and leisure Ulrik Bengtsson Group Chief Executive, Sun International Since July 2025
Hospitality and leisure Mike Cathie Chief Executive Officer, Nando's South Africa
Hospitality and leisure Enver Duminy Chief Executive Officer, Cape Town Tourism