#TogetherMzansi: McDonald's Uplifting South Africa, One Community at a Time
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The Stories
Marius Erasmus, principal of Alta du Toit School for intellectually disabled learners, championed the JOBABLED initiative to connect his students with job opportunities. The platform allows students to upload their profiles and companies to list job openings. McDonald’s took the lead, pioneering a year-long job-shadowing program.
With an annual placement of 8 to 12 students, the initiative has had a profound impact on their self-worth and societal acceptance. This success has inspired other corporations to join in. JOBABLED is not just a win for the students but a significant stride towards inclusivity, challenging and transforming broader societal norms.
Elizabeth Harriesunker, the owner of the Mobile Barber Co., found a way to bring confidence to underprivileged communities through a unique initiative: a mobile salon on wheels. Equipped in a minibus, her team travels to the heart of communities, offering free haircuts to people in orphanages, disability homes, old age homes, skill centers, and schools.
The Mobile Barber project was born in 2019 and faced significant financial hurdles. However, a partnership with McDonald’s has allowed it to expand to two vans and continue their service. The joy reflected in the faces of those they serve, following their free haircuts not only uplifts the communities but also brings immense satisfaction to Elizabeth and her team.
Together Mzansi is not just a campaign but the DNA of McDonald’s South Africa, as per Daniel Padiachy, Executive of Marketing, Supply Chain, IT at McDonald’s South Africa. They leverage McDonald’s as a channel to support impactful causes and uplift the South African community.
Some initiatives include supplying vegetable seeds for school gardens, partnering with a mobile barber entrepreneur offering free haircuts to the underprivileged, and the McDonald’s Computer Bus that offers computer skills lessons to children. They also collaborate with JOBABLED, aiming to integrate disabled individuals into their workforce. Together Mzansi is about Ubuntu – fostering unity and inclusivity, emphasizing that there’s no McDonald’s South Africa without its people.
Corporate Overview
Together Mzansi, an initiative driven by McDonald’s South Africa, rallies citizens to unify and make impactful societal contributions. McDonald’s partnership with Elizabeth Harriesunker’s Mobile Barber, a mobile salon on wheels offering free haircuts to underprivileged communities, has amplified the project’s reach and financial sustainability. In addition, the company is empowering schools like Thoka Thaba Secondary School to build and manage their community vegetable gardens, instilling self-sustainability among students.
Meanwhile, the Nathoo Brothers, KZN-based McDonald’s franchisees, initiated the Computer Bus, offering computer literacy lessons to kids with limited technological access. Finally, McDonald’s collaboration with JOBABLED provides work opportunities for intellectually disabled individuals, exemplifying its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Together Mzansi” initiatives embodies the spirit of Ubuntu, fostering inclusivity and unity in South Africa. There is no Us with U.
Gallery
Elizabeth Harriesunker, Owner of the Mobile Barber Co
Skhumbuzo Nkosi is the EMS Teacher at Thoko Thaba Senior Secondary School where McDonald's sponsors their food garden
Daniel Mathews, a student at Alta du Toit School and intern at McDonald’s through JOBABLED
Marius Erasmus, inspired by his students at Alta du Toit School, developed JOBABLED in partnership with McDonald's
Siyabonga Khumalo, Facilitator on the McDonald's Computer Bus
Anele Rwalumbana, a McDonald’s employee and part of the JOBABLED programme
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In the heart of South Africa, there’s a story that goes beyond the familiar golden arches of McDonald’s. This is a tale not only of a multinational fast-food chain but a champion for socio-economic change. It’s about McDonald’s South Africa’s initiative, “Together Mzansi,” and its extraordinary impact on local communities.
Imagine stepping into a regular day, going about your usual routine, when you come across a surprising sight – a mobile barber offering free haircuts. This is the reality for residents in underprivileged communities, courtesy of McDonald’s “Mobile Barber.” But it’s more than just a free haircut; it’s a sign of respect and dignity, a heartfelt gesture that goes a long way in uplifting the spirits of those often overlooked.
The story doesn’t stop here; it deepens community schoolyards where children, the future stewards of our world, are nurtured. The gardening program initiated by McDonald’s South Africa turns schoolyards into thriving green spaces where children learn not only about plants but entrepreneurship as well. These schools are educating and sowing the seeds of self-sufficiency and business acumen in young minds and this does not only happen on the field but in Life Orientation lessons.
Then there’s the Computer bus, a computerized hub on wheels, bringing digital literacy to the doorsteps of those who might otherwise have been left in the digital divide. It equips them with the necessary skills to navigate the fast-paced world of technology, empowering them with knowledge and widening their career prospects.
And let’s not forget JOBABLED, a program offering employment opportunities to people with disabilities. It’s a beacon of hope for individuals seeking to carve their own path in the world, defying societal norms and proving that disability does not mean inability.
Through “Together Mzansi,” McDonald’s South Africa demonstrates an unwavering commitment to enhancing community living conditions and a call to action for communities to come together in finding solutions to the challenges we face in society. Every initiative is a testament to their dedication, taking us on an inspiring journey of empowerment. It’s clear that they’re serving more than just fast food; they’re serving hope, education, dignity, and growth.
Each time the golden arches come into view, remember that it’s not just a fast-food chain you see. It symbolizes an organization committed to changing lives and making a difference, one community at a time. In South Africa, McDonald’s signifies a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow. Mzansi is known for the spirit of ubuntu, “I am because you are.”Sisonke, Re kaofela, We are Together Mzansi,” concludes Daniel Padiachy.