In celebration of Literacy Month this September, McDonald’s South Africa is embarking on a mission to donate over a million children's books to disadvantaged schools and Early Childhood Development Centres across the country. This initiative aims to address South Africa's literacy crisis, where a 2021 global study revealed that 81% of South African children struggle to read for comprehension by age ten.
Sechaba Motsieloa, Marketing Director at McDonald’s South Africa, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing every child, regardless of background, with access to books. Collaborating with partners like the SABC, National Library of South Africa, and the Rugby Sevens Team, McDonald’s is determined to inspire a lifelong love of reading.
Since 2019, McDonald’s South Africa has also offered children’s books as an alternative to toys with every Happy Meal, demonstrating its dedication to education and community support. This large-scale donation is seen as a crucial step toward improving literacy rates and promoting a reading culture across the country.
