What is Together Mzansi?
Drawing inspiration from 27 years of changing lives through various charitable initiatives in the country, Together Mzansi is the collective effort of all levels of society, to make a positive difference to the lives of our people and communities.
Together Mzansi is the unique result of using our influence and reach to partner with our customers, company staff, franchisees, suppliers and other stakeholders to drive impact by coming together with communities to foster positive change, one initiative at a time.
Together Mzansi is about showing people that as South Africans, we may all be different, but we can come together for the things that matter. As the country looks forward to a prosperous year ahead, McDonald’s South Africa brings Together Mzansi, as a reminder to the people of South Africa of how unity makes us stronger in the face of adversity.
We understand that we triumph as a country when we stand together, and this philosophy aims to remind all of us to do so now, as the country faces various challenges. Mzansi is known for the spirit of ubuntu, ‘I am because you are.’ We also uphold the values of “izandla ziyagezana” it may be my turn to help you today and you could help me in future.
When we say Together Mzansi we mean, “Sisonke, Rekaofela. There’s no Us without U.
Our Purpose & Impact
We believe in using our influence and reach to partner with McDonald’s customers, company staff, franchisees, suppliers and other stakeholders. We’re driving impact by living our purpose which is to come together with communities and foster positive change, one initiative at a time. The actions we continue to take today across communities and our planet will ensure we’re building a better business and a more trusted brand for generations to come.
Our Planet
Our planet is now at a critical point and requires all our efforts to preserve it. This means partnering with various stakeholders including our franchises, suppliers and customers to find innovative ways to go green.
To meet our climate action ambitions, we are focused on reducing emissions in our restaurant operations, engaging suppliers to reduce emissions in the supply chain, strengthening the resilience of our business and using our voice to advocate for collective transformation across the value chain.
We are collaborating with Franchisees, suppliers and producers to catalyze change and help create a brighter, better world for the future.
Our Planet
Power of the Bean
Serving the best coffee means ensuring that our ways of farming are environmentally friendly.
Our coffee beans are responsibly sourced through a proud partnership with the Rainforest Alliance – an NGO that helps train farmers about the importance of growing coffee beans in a more sustainable way to preserve the land for generations to come. This puts us on course to reach our goal of sourcing 100% more sustainable coffee.
In addition to sustainable sourcing, we also help to sustain the environment by re-using our coffee ground waste. We collect all our used ground coffee from McCafé restaurants across the country, which are taken to our recycling partner who begins to process it into seed paper and seed-germination pods. Which our customers can take home to grow their own vegetables to enjoy.
This is our way of helping to preserve the earth and to inspire people to sow the bean for generations to come.
Community Connections
At McDonald’s we do a lot more than serve delicious moment of love, we believe in giving back to our communities by partnering with them and working together in finding solutions to the challenges we all face.
With more than 340 restaurants spread across South Africa, we have a unique connection with communities and this scale comes with a responsibility to help support and empower people in meaningful ways through initiatives focused on literacy and education, farming and sustainability, computer and technology skills, and many others.
In times of disaster we are privileged as a nation to come together and help those affected by disasters that may befall our communities such as floods, or water scarcity due to drought.
Community Connections
RMHC
Ronald McDonald House Charities® helps families stay together when children are sick or injured, and McDonald’s is proud to be its founding mission partner.
McDonald’s supports RMHC through partnering with suppliers, customers and staff through funding and customer donations. For every happy meal purchased, 0.50c automatically goes towards RMHC. We also encourage our customers to donate R5 to RMHC whenever they purchase their meals. RMHC helps families by accommodating them near their critically ill and hospitalized children at the Ronald McDonald House at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, and providing a place for families to rest at the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at Baragwanath Hospital.
Community Connections
Donate A Book Drive
As part of our commitment to child literacy and encourage the joy of reading, we donate books to community schools around the country.
We also call on members of the public to donate used book for distribution into schools.
Our mission is to ensure that all children from all backgrounds can experience the joy of reading.
Community Connections
Community Gardens
As part of our initiative to give communities access to fresh, healthy food while encouraging sustainability, we partner with communities to grow community gardens. These are supported by our recycled coffee waste which makes seedpods that grow fresh vegetables.
Community gardens bring people together and foster a sense of community and social cohesion. They also provide educational opportunities for children and adults to learn about gardening.
Community gardens are also a cost-effective way to increase access to fresh, healthy food.
It’s just one of the ways we partner communities to make a difference.
Food Quality and Sourcing
The road between a great McDonald’s menu item and a delighted customer is long and complex. We approach responsible sourcing holistically, understanding that our work impacts the livelihoods of people, the health of our shared planet and the well-being of animals. We believe we must respect them all.
We remain focused on the positive impact we can have by working with our suppliers.
Jobs, Inclusion And Empowerment
We believe in fostering workplaces where everyone feels supported, has equitable access to opportunity and feels empowered to realize their full potential. We are committed to actively fostering an inclusive environment, where diversity is embraced. This is a cultural climate that spans the entire McDonald’s System.
Guided by our values, we are committed to becoming better allies, better sponsors and better leaders – helping to empower the people and communities we serve. McDonald’s purpose is to feed and foster communities. Central to that purpose is respecting human rights wherever we do business.
Jobs, Inclusion & Empowerment
Women in Conversation
The Women in Conversation aims to honour women by acknowledging and celebrating their achievements through conversation with phenomenal women in their own spaces of influence.
Hosted bi-monthly by the McDonald’s South Africa’s Women’s Leadership Network, women from various spheres gather online to tackle various subjects aimed at encouraging and inspiring other women to own their unique voices.
