KFC vs McDonald’s South Africa: Prices, Menu and Value Compared

KFC and McDonald’s sell different kinds of food, so there isn’t a single winner. KFC is a chicken chain with buckets and pieces; McDonald’s is a burger chain with a full breakfast menu. Below we compare the items that do line up, category by category. For the complete menus, see our KFC menu prices and McDonald’s menu prices pages.

KFC vs McDonald’s price comparison, side by side

Category	KFC	McDonald’s	Cheaper
Cheapest burger	Snack Burger, R24.90	Hamburger or Chicken Burger, R26.90	KFC
Standard chicken burger	Crunch Burger, R29.90	McChicken®, R56.90	KFC
Signature burger	New Zinger, R52.90	Big Mac®, R72.90	KFC
Two-fillet or premium chicken burger	Double Crunch Burger, R62.90	McCrispy, R65.90	KFC
Meat-free burger	Hash Veggie Burger, R36.90	Veggie Burger, R52.90	KFC
Cheapest meal	Streetwise Snack Pack Burger, R29.90	Cheeseburger Meal, R39.90	KFC
Fries or chips	Regular Chips, R24.90	Fries, R29.90	KFC
Cappuccino	R29.90	R26.90	McDonald’s
Milkshake	R27.90	R39.90	KFC
Cheapest ice cream	Soft Twirl, R9.90	Sundae, R30.90	KFC
Oreo dessert	Oreo Sundae, R21.90	McFlurry® Oreo, R56.90	KFC
Kids’ meal	Not on our KFC price list	Happy Meal®, R65.90	McDonald’s
Feeding four	Family Treat 8, R239.90	McSmart Meal for 4, R263.90	KFC

Menu sizes aren’t always identical between the two chains (a KFC regular chips and a McDonald’s fries are not the same portion, for example), so treat small gaps as close to a draw.

Burgers: KFC wins on price, McDonald’s on range

KFC is cheaper at every level of chicken burger. Its Crunch Burger (R29.90) costs about half of a McChicken® (R56.90), and the Zinger is R20 less than a Big Mac®. McDonald’s has the beef range, which KFC’s standard burger menu (all chicken) doesn’t compete with: the Hamburger (R26.90), Cheeseburger (R30.90), Quarter Pounder® with Cheese (R81.90) and McFeast® (R112.90). If you want beef, the choice is made for you. Our burger price guide compares both with every other chain.

Meals: what a burger with fries and a drink costs

A Big Mac® Meal costs around R100 for a regular and up to about R115 for a large, and the MyMcDonald’s app sometimes runs it at R59.90 (see our Big Mac meal guide). KFC’s Zinger meals come as boxes: the Wicked Zinger Box is R102.90. At the cheap end, KFC’s Streetwise Two gets you two pieces of chicken and chips for R41.90, just R2 more than McDonald’s Cheeseburger Meal.

Feeding a family

This is where KFC pulls clearly ahead. Its buckets get cheaper per piece as they get bigger: the 21-piece bucket is R299.90, or R14.28 a piece. McDonald’s bundles don’t get cheaper at all: a McSmart Meal costs about R66 per person whether you buy it for two, three or four people. The KFC Family Treat 8 (8 pieces, 2 snack burgers, 4 Zinger wings, 2 chips and 2 coleslaw) is R239.90, R24 less than the McSmart Meal for 4. Our family meals guide compares these with other chains.

Coffee, desserts and breakfast

KFC’s desserts are far cheaper. A Soft Twirl costs R9.90, and the Oreo Sundae (R21.90) costs less than half of a McFlurry® Oreo (R56.90). McDonald’s wins on coffee, with a cappuccino at R26.90 against R29.90 at KFC, and on breakfast, where it has a full menu from R33.90 for a Hash Brown. See our breakfast price guide and coffee and dessert guide for the other chains.

Ordering on Mr D or Uber Eats

Both chains cost more on delivery apps than at the counter. In our checks, a KFC Streetwise Two costs R52.90 on Mr D against R41.90 in store, and a 9-piece bucket costs R40 more. McDonald’s delivery prices are set per branch. Our delivery vs in-store price comparison has the details.

Where each chain wins

KFC wins if you want chicken, you are feeding a group, you want a cheap dessert or milkshake, or you want the lowest-priced burger on either menu.

McDonald’s wins if you want a beef burger, breakfast, a kids’ meal or a cheaper cappuccino.

KFC vs McDonald’s FAQs

Is KFC cheaper than McDonald’s?

For most items, yes. KFC is cheaper for chicken burgers, chips, milkshakes, desserts and family meals. McDonald’s is cheaper for cappuccinos, and it has a full beef burger range, while KFC’s standard burgers are all chicken.

Which is cheaper, a Zinger or a Big Mac?

The Zinger, at R52.90 against R72.90 for a Big Mac®.

Which is better value for a family?

KFC. Its buckets and family meals get cheaper per person as they get bigger, while McDonald’s McSmart Meals cost about R66 a person at every size.

See also: all our fast food comparisons, Burger King vs McDonald’s and KFC vs Nando’s.