Rationale/executive summary: McDonald’s was introduced to South Africa in 1995. Currently there are more than 200 restaurants operating in the country. McDonald’s envisions them “to be the world’s best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that they make every customer in every restaurant smile.” Ray Kroc is the founder of McDonald’s. Greg Solomon is the current CEO of McDonald’s South Africa. Presented in this research task is a background of McDonald’s, a SWOT analysis for the micro environment, a Porters Five Force model for the market environment and a PESTLE analysis for the macro environment. A strategic plan is also included. This task focuses on the business in all environments and investigates the negative and positive components of the business. There is an in-depth analysis of multiple issues that will affect McDonald, but in conjunction to the issues there will also be possible solutions presented. In order to have a successful business one must investigate the different environments using the three most common tools listed above. A business operating in South Africa must look at the country’s economic position and must be aware of the inevitable challenges, especially considering the country’s latest downgrade to junk status. Background on McDonald’s: McDonald’s was founded by Ray Kroc. It first started in 1955 in a butcher shop in Illinois, United States of America.