Chicken Prices in South Africa: Fried, Flame-Grilled and Wings Compared (2026)
Quick answer: which chain has the cheapest chicken?
For a single fried piece, Chicken Licken is cheapest at R22, just ahead of KFC at R23.90. For flame-grilled chicken, Pedros is far cheaper than anyone else: a quarter chicken costs R32.99, against R49 at Galito’s and R60 at Nando’s. If you are buying for a crowd, the biggest buckets at KFC, Chicken Licken and Hungry Lion all come out at about R14 a piece, and Hungry Lion’s Thursday prices take that down to R12.75.
South Africa has more chicken chains than burger chains, and they fall into two camps. Fried chicken comes from KFC, Chicken Licken and Hungry Lion. Flame-grilled peri-peri chicken comes from Nando’s, Pedros and Galito’s, and Steers, Wimpy and Spur grill chicken alongside their burgers. We compare both camps below, using the prices on our chain pages, which were checked in September 2026.
Fried chicken: the price per piece
Every chain sells a different mix of bucket sizes, so the fairest comparison is what you pay for each piece of chicken.
| Pieces | KFC | Chicken Licken | Hungry Lion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 piece | R23.90 | R22.00 | Not listed |
| 9 to 10 pieces | R149.90 for 9 (R16.66 each) | R150.00 for 9 (R16.67 each) | R165.00 for 10 (R16.50 each) |
| 15 pieces | R239.90 (R15.99 each) | R234.00 (R15.60 each) | R235.00 (R15.67 each) |
| 20 to 21 pieces | R299.90 for 21 (R14.28 each) | R300.00 for 21 (R14.29 each) | R285.00 for 20 (R14.25 each) |
The three chains price their buckets almost identically. At nine pieces, KFC and Chicken Licken are 10 cents apart, and at the biggest size all three land between R14.25 and R14.29 a piece. So the size you buy matters more than the chain you buy from: going from a 9-piece to a 21-piece bucket saves about R2.40 a piece at both KFC and Chicken Licken.
The one real outlier is Hungry Lion on a Thursday. Its buckets drop by R20 to R30, and the 20-piece falls to R255, or R12.75 a piece. That is the cheapest fried chicken per piece we track. The full list of day deals is on our Hungry Lion specials page.
Flame-grilled chicken: Pedros, Galito’s and Nando’s
| Portion | Pedros | Galito’s | Nando’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter chicken | R32.99 | R49.00 | R60.00 |
| Half chicken | R64.99 | R89.00 | R105.00 |
| Full chicken | R124.99 | R175.00 | R205.00 |
Pedros is the cheapest at every size, and not by a small margin. Its full chicken costs R80 less than a Nando’s full chicken, about 39 percent cheaper. Galito’s sits in between, roughly 15 percent below Nando’s. Nando’s still has a wider vegetarian menu and a kids’ menu, which Galito’s lacks. Our Nando’s vs Galito’s and Pedros vs Nando’s comparisons cover those trade-offs meal by meal.
The burger chains grill chicken as well. Steers sells a quarter chicken with chips for R59.90, while Wimpy and Spur both list a quarter chicken at R69.90, so check which sides come with those before you compare.
Wings: the price per wing
| Chain | Best-value pack | Price | Per wing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungry Lion | 20 Zamba Spicy Winglets | R129.00 | R6.45 |
| Chicken Licken | Hotwings (24pc) | R170.00 | R7.08 |
| KFC | 10 Zinger Wings | R79.90 | R7.99 |
| Nando’s | 10 Regular Winglets | R85.00 | R8.50 |
| RocoMamas | 12 Wings | R150.00 | R12.50 |
Hungry Lion’s Zamba winglets are the cheapest wings we track on this measure. Keep in mind that a winglet is a wing section rather than a whole wing, so compare the size as well as the count. RocoMamas costs almost twice as much per wing as the fried chicken chains, but it is a sit-down burger restaurant, so it isn’t a direct comparison.
Chicken on a tight budget
- Under R30: KFC’s Streetwise Snack Pack Burger or Snack Pack Pops (R29.90), or any item from Chicken Licken’s Easy Bucks menu (R30).
- Under R35: Hungry Lion’s The Big One (R32.90) is its cheapest chicken meal.
- Under R45: KFC’s Streetwise Two with chips (R39.90) gets you two pieces and chips. At Pedros, a quarter chicken with chips is R44.99.
- Chicken livers: Pedros sells livers and a roll for R29.99. A full portion of livers with a roll at Nando’s is R79.
Is the chicken halaal?
This is one of the questions we are asked most about chicken chains, and the answer depends on the branch rather than the brand. Our halaal fast food guide explains how to check the certificate at your branch and which certifying bodies to look for.
Full chicken menus and comparisons
- KFC menu prices
- KFC bucket prices and price per piece
- KFC Streetwise 2 price
- Chicken Licken menu prices
- Hungry Lion menu prices
- Nando’s menu prices
- Pedros menu prices
- Galito’s menu prices
- KFC vs Chicken Licken vs Hungry Lion
- KFC vs Chicken Licken bucket prices
- KFC vs Nando’s
- Chicken Licken vs Pedros
- Pedros vs Nando’s
- Nando’s vs Galito’s
- Is Pedros the same company as Nando’s?
Chicken prices: common questions
Is Chicken Licken cheaper than KFC?
For single pieces, yes, by R1.90. For buckets, the two are within a few rand at every size. KFC’s 21-piece bucket is actually 10 cents cheaper than Chicken Licken’s 21-piece Family Barrel.
What is the cheapest bucket of chicken in South Africa?
Per piece, Hungry Lion’s 20-piece bucket on a Thursday: R255, or R12.75 a piece. On other days, the biggest buckets at Hungry Lion, KFC and Chicken Licken all cost between R14.25 and R14.29 a piece.
Is Pedros cheaper than Nando’s?
Yes, on chicken by a wide margin: R32.99 against R60 for a quarter chicken, and R124.99 against R205 for a full chicken. Many people assume the two chains are linked; our guide to who owns Pedros and Nando’s explains the history.