KFC vs Chicken Licken vs Hungry Lion: Who Gives You the Most Chicken for R100? (2026)
Quick answer: which is cheapest?
Hungry Lion is cheapest for most orders. Its Mega Meal is 8 pieces of chicken, 2 regular chips and 2 coleslaw for R119, its 20 Piece Bucket drops to R255 on Thursdays, and it has the cheapest wings. KFC has the best cheap solo meal (the Streetwise Two at R39.90) and the best R100 combo (the Streetwise Five with Chips at R99.90). Chicken Licken is rarely the cheapest, but it has the R30 Easy Bucks menu and a fully halaal menu. Plain buckets cost almost exactly the same at all three: the biggest bucket at each works out to R14.25 to R14.29 a piece.
The “R100 challenge” is all over South African TikTok: someone takes a R100 note to KFC, Chicken Licken and Hungry Lion and films what each counter hands over. The videos are entertaining, but they rarely show the menu board and they usually test one order. We wanted the full picture, so we worked through each chain’s standard in-store prices, from a R30 snack up to a 21-piece bucket.
KFC has sold chicken in South Africa since 1971 and is the biggest of the three. Chicken Licken was started in 1981 by George Sombonos in Ridgeway, Johannesburg, and is still South African owned. Hungry Lion began inside the Shoprite Group, now runs independently, opened its 300th store in 2023 and has always sold itself on bigger portions for less money. MAPS data reported by Geoscope in 2024 put Chicken Licken at about 10 percent of the quick-service market and Hungry Lion at about 7 percent, with KFC far ahead of both.
Prices checked September 2026 against each chain’s official South African menu. All three run franchises, so your branch may differ by a few rand, and delivery apps charge more than the counter.
The R100 challenge: what your note buys
Each row is the most food we could get for R100 or less at that counter. We left out limited-time promotions except where the table says otherwise.
| Chain | Best R100 order | Price | Pieces of chicken | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC | Streetwise Five with Chips | R99.90 | 5, plus chips | R0.10 |
| Hungry Lion | King Combo (4 pieces + 2 regular chips) | R85.00 | 4, plus 2 chips | R15.00 |
| Chicken Licken | 5 Pieces (chicken only) | R100.00 | 5, no sides | R0 |
| Chicken Licken, wing option | Hotwings 12pc | R86.00 | 12 wings | R14.00 |
| Hungry Lion, Tuesdays only | Tuesday Two + 2 Drinks | R95.00 | Two meals plus two drinks | R5.00 |
On a normal day KFC wins: five pieces and chips with ten cents to spare. Chicken Licken gives you the same five pieces but no chips, which puts it last at this budget. Hungry Lion’s King Combo has one piece fewer than KFC but two portions of chips, and leaves R15 for a drink. On Tuesdays, though, Hungry Lion’s Tuesday Two feeds two people with drinks for R95, and nothing else we found at R100 comes close to that.
What R50 and R200 buy
| Budget | KFC | Chicken Licken | Hungry Lion |
|---|---|---|---|
| R50, one person | Streetwise Two with Chips, R39.90 (2 pieces + chips) | SoulSister Vibe, R40, or any Easy Bucks item, R30 | Big Bite 2, R42.90, or 2 Munch Burgers, R35 (daily deal) |
| R200, a family | 9 Piece Bucket + large chips + coleslaw, R199.70 | Family Full House 8pc, R176 (chicken, sides and Licken Loaf) | Jumbo Meal, R199 (10 pieces + 4 regular chips) |
At R50 the three are closer than you might expect. We would pick KFC’s Streetwise Two for a solo lunch because you know exactly what is in the box (two pieces and chips) and you keep R10. Chicken Licken’s Easy Bucks menu has seven items at a flat R30, which makes it the cheapest hot snack at any of the three.
Hungry Lion is best at R200. Its Jumbo Meal has ten pieces and four chips, while the KFC order has nine pieces, one large chips and one coleslaw. Chicken Licken’s Family Full House is about R23 cheaper than both, but you get two pieces fewer than at Hungry Lion.
Price per piece: buckets are nearly identical
We expected one chain to be clearly cheaper on buckets. It isn’t. Once you take combos out of it, all three price their buckets within a few cents a piece of each other.
| Bucket size | KFC | Chicken Licken | Hungry Lion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single piece | Not sold alone | R22.00 | R22.90 |
| 9 to 10 pieces | 9pc R149.90 (R16.66 each) | 9pc Chicken Inn R150 (R16.67 each) | 10pc R165 (R16.50 each) |
| 15 pieces | R239.90 (R15.99 each) | R234 (R15.60 each) | R235 (R15.67 each) |
| 20 to 21 pieces | 21pc R299.90 (R14.28 each) | 21pc R300 (R14.29 each) | 20pc R285 (R14.25 each) |
| Hungry Lion on Thursdays | n/a | n/a | 20pc R255 (R12.75 each) |
At every size, the cheapest and most expensive buckets are less than 40 cents a piece apart. On most days, pick your bucket by taste or by which branch is nearer. The exception is Thursday, when Hungry Lion takes R20 to R30 off every bucket. Its 20 Piece is then R255, or R12.75 a piece, much cheaper than anything the other two charge.
You save more with combos that include sides. Hungry Lion’s Mega Meal is 8 pieces, 2 regular chips and 2 coleslaw for R119. Eight pieces at KFC’s 9-piece bucket rate would already cost about R133, before any chips.
Wings: Zinger vs Hotwings vs Zamba
KFC sells Zinger and Dunked wings. Chicken Licken has its Hotwings, and Hungry Lion has Zamba Spicy Winglets and Sticky Wings.
| Pack | Price | Per wing |
|---|---|---|
| KFC 4 Zinger Wings | R44.90 | R11.23 |
| KFC 10 Zinger Wings | R79.90 | R7.99 |
| KFC 10 Dunked Wings | R89.90 | R8.99 |
| Chicken Licken Hotwings 6pc | R44.00 | R7.33 |
| Chicken Licken Hotwings 12pc | R86.00 | R7.17 |
| Chicken Licken Hotwings 36pc | R233.00 | R6.47 |
| Hungry Lion 6 Zamba Winglets | R45.00 | R7.50 |
| Hungry Lion 10 Zamba Winglets | R69.00 | R6.90 |
| Hungry Lion 20 Zamba Winglets | R129.00 | R6.45 |
| Hungry Lion 20 Wings, Wednesday and Thursday deal | R109.00 | R5.45 |
KFC charges the most per wing at every size, and its 4-pack costs over R11 a wing, which we would skip. For a small order, Chicken Licken’s 6 Hotwings at R44 is the best value. From ten wings up, Hungry Lion is cheaper, and its Wednesday and Thursday deal of 20 wings for R109 is the lowest price per wing on any of the three menus. The wings aren’t the same size at every chain, so use these figures as a guide rather than an exact weight-for-weight comparison.
Burgers: Zinger vs Big John vs Big Boss
| Burger | KFC | Chicken Licken | Hungry Lion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest burger | Snack Burger, R24.90 | 1 Slyder, R15 (small square slider) | Munch Burger, R24.90 |
| Signature burger | Zinger, R52.90 | Big John, R47 | Big Boss, R39.90 |
| Signature with cheese | n/a | Love Me Hot Cheese, R42 | Big Boss Cheese, R44.90 |
| Double or bigger | Double Crunch, R62.90 | No double on the menu | Double Big Boss R59.90, Triiiple Big Boss R74.90 |
| Signature burger as a meal | Box meals from R67.90 | Big John Top Deluxe, R77 (fries + 300ml Coke) | Big Boss Meal, R64.90 |
Hungry Lion’s Big Boss costs R13 less than a Zinger and R7 less than a Big John, and it’s the only one of the three you can get as a triple. At R15, a Chicken Licken Square Slyder is the cheapest burger of any kind, and a 4-pack brings it down to R12.75 each. KFC’s box meals put a piece of chicken in with the burger, and neither of the other two does that at a similar price.
Weekly deals
The prices above are the standard menu. Promotions on certain days can change which chain is cheapest.
- Hungry Lion on Tuesdays: Tuesday Two with 2 drinks for R95, or 2 Munch Meals for R79.
- Hungry Lion on Wednesdays: 20 wings for R109, a Zamba Wing Combo for R59 and a Zamba Wing Pack for R79.
- Hungry Lion on Thursdays: buckets at R95 (6pc), R145 (10pc), R215 (15pc) and R255 (20pc), 20 wings for R109 and a Chip Bucket for R75.
- Hungry Lion every day: 2 Munch Burgers for R35.
- KFC runs monthly specials and app offers that change often. Our KFC specials this month page lists what is on now.
- Chicken Licken runs short promotions outside its standard menu. If your branch charges less than the prices here, a special is probably on.
If you can choose the day, buy your bulk chicken at Hungry Lion on a Thursday.
Chips, sides and drinks
| Item | KFC | Chicken Licken | Hungry Lion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular chips | R24.90 | R15.00 (Soul Fries) | R23.90 |
| Large chips | R27.90 | R43.00 | R26.90 |
| Coleslaw | R21.90 | R16.00 (Soulslaw) | R13.90 |
| Bread | Mini Loaf R13.90 | Licken Loaf R10.00 | Dixie Roll R9.90 |
| Soft serve | Soft Twirl R9.90 | Cool Cone R9.00 | Vanilla Sundae R9.90 |
Chicken Licken’s regular Soul Fries at R15 are the cheapest chips here. Its large portion is R43, the most expensive by a long way, so two regulars are the better buy. Hungry Lion has the cheapest coleslaw and bread roll. KFC isn’t the cheapest for any item in this table.
Taste, halaal and menu differences
Price won’t settle which one tastes best. KFC fans like the Original Recipe coating and how consistent it is from branch to branch. Chicken Licken regulars care most about Hotwings and the spicier local flavour of its Soulfire sauce. Hungry Lion has always promised bigger pieces, which is worth remembering when you compare a four-piece meal across the three.
Chicken Licken’s official menu says every item is halaal. Hungry Lion follows halaal preparation standards in South Africa, and KFC branches show their own certification. Check with your branch, and see our halaal fast food guide for how.
Some things you can only get at one chain. KFC has Original Recipe buckets, Zinger Boxmasters and Twisters, Krushers, mash and gravy, a veggie burger and coffee. Chicken Licken has Hotwings, Square Slyders, SoulBites, the R30 Easy Bucks menu, achaar and Soulfire sauce. Hungry Lion has Zamba and Sticky wings, the Triiiple Big Boss, chicken fingers with dippas and a Chip Bucket.
Which counter to choose
- R100 on a normal day: KFC’s Streetwise Five with Chips, five pieces and chips for R99.90.
- R100 on a Tuesday: Hungry Lion’s Tuesday Two with drinks, R95 for two people.
- A family meal: Hungry Lion’s Mega Meal (R119) or Jumbo Meal (R199), which give you the most chicken and sides for the price.
- A big bucket on a Thursday: Hungry Lion’s 20 Piece at R12.75 a piece.
- A big bucket on any other day: any of the three, since they all cost R14.25 to R14.29 a piece.
- Six wings or fewer: Chicken Licken. Ten or more: Hungry Lion.
- A snack under R35: Chicken Licken’s R30 Easy Bucks menu, or two Hungry Lion Munch Burgers for R35.
- A fully halaal menu: Chicken Licken.
Every price in this guide comes from our full KFC, Chicken Licken and Hungry Lion menu pages, so check those if you want an item we did not cover. If buckets are your usual order, our KFC vs Chicken Licken bucket comparison goes into more detail, and the Hungry Lion specials page tracks the day-by-day deals. On a tight budget, see the cheapest fast food under R50, or price your own order with the KFC meal calculator.
Quick answers
Is Hungry Lion cheaper than KFC?
For most orders, yes. Hungry Lion is cheaper for family meals, wings, most burgers and sides. On Thursdays its 10, 15 and 20-piece buckets cost roughly R1.50 to R2 a piece less than KFC’s. At normal bucket prices the two are almost level, and KFC’s Streetwise Five with Chips at R99.90 is the better R100 combo on an ordinary day.
Is Chicken Licken cheaper than KFC?
Sometimes. Chicken Licken costs less for small wing orders, regular chips, coleslaw and snacks under R30, and its 15-piece bucket is R5.90 cheaper than KFC’s. KFC is cheaper for a five-piece meal with chips, and their largest buckets cost almost the same.
What can I buy at KFC with R100?
The Streetwise Five with Chips (R99.90), which is five pieces of chicken and chips. For two people, two Streetwise Two meals at R39.90 each come to R79.80 and leave R20.20 for a drink.
Which chain has the cheapest wings?
Hungry Lion. Twenty Zamba Winglets cost R129 (R6.45 each), and the Wednesday and Thursday deal of 20 wings for R109 brings it down to R5.45 each. For six wings or fewer, Chicken Licken’s 6 Hotwings at R44 are better value.
Which has the cheapest bucket?
On a normal day, Hungry Lion’s 20 Piece Bucket at R285 (R14.25 each) is very slightly cheaper per piece than the 21-piece buckets at KFC (R299.90) and Chicken Licken (R300). On Thursdays Hungry Lion’s 20 Piece is R255, which is clearly the cheapest.
Is Chicken Licken halaal?
Yes. Chicken Licken’s official menu says every item is halaal. Each store displays its certificate, so you can check at your branch.
Are delivery app prices the same as in store?
No. Uber Eats and Mr D usually list all three chains above their in-store prices, and delivery and service fees come on top. Our delivery vs in-store guide shows how much the apps add.
Sources
- KFC South Africa official website
- Chicken Licken official website
- Hungry Lion South Africa official menu
- South Africa’s quick service chicken wars (Geoscope, 2024)
Prices last checked September 2026 from the official KFC, Chicken Licken and Hungry Lion South African menus. Daily and weekly deals can change without notice and may not run at every branch. All three brands are franchised, so your local store may charge slightly more or less.
