Ronald McDonald House Charities South Africa

Keeping families close when children need healthcare most.

Ronald McDonald House Charities South Africa (RMHC SA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting families and mothers with seriously ill and injured children receiving medical treatment. Through its programmes, RMHC SA helps reduce the emotional, physical and financial burdens associated with accessing specialised healthcare, ensuring that loved ones can remain close during a child's treatment journey.

Established in 2012, RMHC South Africa was founded on the belief that when a child is ill, the entire family is impacted and that keeping loved ones close can positively influence a child's healing and wellbeing.

In 2013, RMHC South Africa opened its first programme, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) in Soweto, serving mothers in Maternal Ward 66 and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Family Room provides mothers with a safe and comfortable space to rest, refresh and access essential amenities while remaining close to their babies receiving medical care.

In 2017, RMHC South Africa expanded its impact by opening the Ronald McDonald House at the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital (NMCH) in Parktown, Johannesburg. The Ronald McDonald House provides a "home away from home" for families who travel long distances to access specialised healthcare for their children. The House offers free accommodation, meals and a supportive environment, allowing families to remain together throughout their child's treatment journey.

In 2024, RMHC South Africa opened the Ronald McDonald Lactation Centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto. The Lactation Centre provides a clean, comfortable and relaxing space for mothers to express milk for their babies who are receiving medical care in the hospital, while promoting maternal wellbeing and supporting the nutritional needs of vulnerable infants.