GirlUnlimited Doubles Support For Girls

GirlUnlimited has welcomed 35 high school girls into its 2026 programme, doubling its intake while expanding education, mentorship and opportunity across Kathorus township communities in Gauteng.

The community-based foundation works with schools, teachers and school leadership to identify girls facing socio-economic challenges who also demonstrate academic potential, commitment and a willingness to participate fully in the programme.

The approach is designed to ensure that support reaches girls who may otherwise face barriers to educational opportunity while maintaining dignity, trust and community involvement throughout the selection process.

Girls in the 2026 cohort are in Grades 8 to 11 and will receive year-long support spanning academic development, mentorship, life and soft skills, psychosocial support, financial assistance and exposure to industries and career possibilities.

The programme also introduces participants to global citizenship and encourages them to see education as part of a wider pathway towards personal independence, leadership and economic participation.

For GirlUnlimited, the new cohort represents an important growth milestone.

The organisation has now delivered three consecutive years of programme support and has seen participants progress into South African universities, while one beneficiary has been accepted to pursue tertiary studies in Japan.

Its impact has also extended beyond the girls directly participating in the programme.

In one example, the mother of a beneficiary returned to university to continue her own education, demonstrating how educational opportunity can influence decisions within an entire household.

“GirlUnlimited was created to change not only the trajectory of girls’ lives, but the mindset of families and communities,” said Portia Nondo, McDonald’s South Africa franchisee and co-founder of GirlUnlimited.

“When a girl begins to believe in her own potential, that belief spreads. We have seen mothers return to study, families re-imagine what is possible, and communities rally around education as a shared responsibility.”

Co-founder Batetshi Matenge said the 2026 intake is particularly significant because the organisation had set itself the target of doubling the number of girls entering the programme.

“This cycle marks a true milestone in our growth. We set out to double our intake, and we did,” Matenge said.

“It is a moment we want to pause on, celebrate and share with all of you because none of it would have been possible without the community that stands behind us.”

The programme is supported by a wider network that includes schools, parents, community members, volunteers, donors and corporate partners.

McDonald’s South Africa has also supported the initiative as part of its approach to strengthening social-impact work led by franchisees within the communities where they operate.

Millicent Maroga, Director Impact at McDonald’s South Africa, said supporting community-rooted initiatives can help create longer-term benefits beyond the immediate participants.

“Supporting initiatives led by franchisees and rooted in the communities where they operate is an important part of creating meaningful, sustainable impact,” Maroga said.

“For McDonald’s South Africa, supporting initiatives such as GirlUnlimited is about recognising and strengthening the impact that our franchisees are already making in their communities.”

She said programmes investing directly in young people can create opportunities that extend to families and communities over time.

For the girls entering the programme, the impact begins more personally.

Neo Malinga from Ponego Secondary School said being selected had already created a sense of excitement about what lies ahead.

“I am so happy and honoured to be selected as one of the girls to join GirlUnlimited,” she said. “It feels amazing to be chosen for such an inspiring programme and I can’t wait to start the journey.”

Parents are also seeing changes in confidence and commitment.

Zamani Mjiyakho, whose daughter Amani is among the new recruits, said he had already noticed a difference in her approach to her studies and in how confidently she presents herself.

For GirlUnlimited, these individual changes are important because the programme is designed to influence more than academic performance alone.

Its wider objective is to help girls develop confidence, access support networks, understand future possibilities and remain connected to educational pathways that can expand their options after school.

With the 2026 cohort now confirmed, the Foundation is seeking additional funding and partnership support to deliver the full programme for all 35 girls.

Funding will be directed towards academic support, mentorship, wellbeing initiatives, financial assistance and exposure opportunities throughout the year.

“Our impact to date shows what is possible when communities work together,” Nondo said.

“Every success is a shared success. With the right partnerships, we can remove barriers to education and give more girls the opportunity to realise their potential.”

GirlUnlimited is now calling on corporate partners, funders, advocates and media organisations to support the next phase of its development.

For the Foundation, scaling the programme is not simply about increasing participation numbers. It is about ensuring that more girls in Kathorus have access to the academic support, guidance, confidence and exposure needed to build futures that may once have seemed beyond reach.