Streetwise campaign supports families and students navigating financial pressure at the start of 2026. More than 46,000 children did not attend school in 2024 because of the cost, according to Children Count. And with matric results and the start of school around the corner, it’s the time of year when the costs of education loom large in parents’ minds. But help is at hand for 200 South African families. This month, KFC is giving away R5 million in education fees through its Streetwise “Originals Start Strong” campaign. The country’s biggest quick service restaurant brand is offering 200 families and students R24,000 each to help make educational dreams come true, and another 150,000 winners will receive airtime/data vouchers worth R25 each. The campaign, which runs until 9 February, targets the moment when financial strain is most acute for South African households, says Grant Macpherson, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at KFC Africa. “We know that January is when educational costs hit hardest. School fees are due, university and college registration open, and families are making difficult decisions about their children’s futures,” says Macpherson. “This campaign is about feeding the potential we see in South Africa’s young ‘Originals’, the ones who are determined to make something of themselves regardless of where they start.”
