McDonald’s South Africa recognises that a change as little as reading a book can change a lot about a child’s future.

Starting in the month of September, which marks Literacy Month, McDonald’s South Africa will be on a quest to donate over a million books to disadvantaged schools and Early Childhood Development Centres across the country.

According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, which evaluated the reading ability of 400,000 students globally in 2021, South Africa ranked last out of 57 countries assessed, with eight out of 10 South African school children struggling to read by the age of ten. The study showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country’s eleven official languages.

Sechaba Motsieloa, Marketing Director at McDonald’s South Africa said: “Our mission is to ensure all children, no matter their background, can access the joy of reading. This September, together with fantastic charity partners such as the SABC, National Library of South Africa and the Rugby Sevens Team amongst others, we will do our best to ensure as many children have access to books in their schools to spark a lifelong love of reading.”

As a company that prides itself on diversity and its commitment to fostering community, McDonald’s South Africa, has been offering children’s books as an alternate option to toys, with every purchase of a McDonald’s Happy Meal, since 2019.

McDonald’s South Africa’s donation of over a million books to underprivileged schools is a significant contribution to education. Access to books can greatly enhance literacy and learning opportunities for students. This kind of initiative not only supports academic growth but also fosters a love for reading, which can have long-lasting benefits for children.

“The ongoing literacy crisis in South Africa requires that organisations who care about the future of this country contribute towards encouraging a love and culture of reading,” concludes Motsieloa.