Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) on Thursday announced the temporary closure of all its restaurants in Lesotho due to the severe outbreak of bird flu in neighboring South Africa.
Lesotho's government has taken the precautionary measure of banning all poultry imports from South Africa, citing concerns about the spread of avian influenza.
This decision has had a significant impact on KFC's supply chain, which largely relies on chicken sourced from certified farms in South Africa that are free of bird flu.
Lesotho, a landlocked and mountainous nation completely surrounded by South Africa, is feeling the repercussions of the ongoing bird flu crisis across its borders.
South Africa has been grappling with the bird flu outbreak for several months and has had to cull over seven million egg-laying hens, accounting for 20-30% of the country's total poultry stock.
This crisis reached its zenith last week when Mozambique was compelled to cull approximately 45,000 infected hens that it had imported from South Africa. Namibia also took proactive measures by banning the import of South African poultry in September.
The consequences of this outbreak have extended beyond national borders, leading to a shortage of both eggs and chicken meat in several countries throughout southern Africa.
With the closure of KFC restaurants in Lesotho, customers are left without their favorite fast-food chicken dishes. KFC Lesotho, however, has reassured its patrons that the closure is temporary and that the company is dedicated to resolving the supply chain issues. They have promised their customers that their restaurants will be reopening their doors as soon as the situation stabilizes.
