South Africa faces a profound literacy crisis that threatens the futures of millions of children and the long-term social and economic growth of our nation.
Eight out of 10 grade 4 pupils cannot read for meaning in any language, while illiteracy costs South Africa’s economy an estimated R119 billion annually. Language barriers, limited access to reading materials, and unequal early learning opportunities compound the challenges children, teachers, caregivers and parents face.
In September, during National Literacy Month, Trialogue hosted a webinar to explore how companies can strategically support literacy development. The panellists were Nobuntu Lange (Corporate and Government Affairs, Volkswagen Group Africa), Prudence Erens (Programme Manager, Nal’ibali) and Dr Nompumelelo Nyathi-Mohohlwane (Director: Reading, Department of Basic Education).
Trialogue research on corporate social investment in literacy
Trialogue research indicates that language and literacy accounted for 13% of the average CSI education spend in 2024, the same as in 2023. Maths and science typically receive close to double the amount of CSI spend.
However, as Nobuntu Lange shared during the webinar, “Literacy is the gateway of opportunity.” Volkswagen Group South Africa invests in literacy programmes precisely because they help to uplift communities. “They improve education outcomes and foster stronger, more resilient communities, which promotes a stable and productive business environment,” Lange told webinar attendees.
Government, company and nonprofit interventions
The three panellists began by explaining the nature and scope of their literacy interventions.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE)
Nyathi-Mohohlwane established the context, citing the DBE’s South African National Reading Strategy and Plan 2022-2030, which has four core pillars: literacy policy, highly skilled and agile teachers, age-appropriate and culturally relevant learning and teaching support materials (LTSMS), and involvement of parents and communities.
The DBE has two focus areas:
- Ensuring that children can master reading in indigenous languages before focusing on English. To this end, it has created reading benchmarks in all 11 official languages. A pilot project is underway to extend home language tuition beyond grade 3, including instruction in grade 4 maths and science.
- Measuring progress and trends over time by participating in surveys, which improves monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It is crucial to participate in surveys such as the Thrive By Five Index to monitor national progress, said Nyathi-Mohohlwane.
Nyathi-Mohohlwane stressed that the DBE is trying hard to bring as many children aged 0-5 into ECD programmes as possible and urged funders to work with ECD centres to ensure they’re registered. Accessing grants is also vital as this will enable centres to provide for children’s developmental needs, including nutrition and cognitive development.
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA)
VWGA’s shared value approach means the company is “deeply rooted in communities,” aligning social investment with its long-term business sustainability and the National Development Goals. The Group has primarily implemented literacy initiatives through its Legacy Literacy Programme, which aims to ensure that all children in Kariega – where VWGA’s plant is located – are functionally literate by the age of 10.
Lange noted that, despite multiple national interventions, literacy is regressing. She acknowledged that the company’s strategy has yielded limited results, which is why it will shortly be rolling out a holistic ‘cradle to career’ model that will consolidate education initiatives from early childhood development to career readiness. This will include infrastructure-based solutions.
Nal’ibali
Nal’ibali works to strengthen literacy in homes, schools, and communities by equipping caregivers, ECD practitioners, and community developers with the skills and confidence to nurture a love of reading in children. Nal’ibali provides free print and digital reading materials in all 11 official languages, with a focus on mother-tongue learning.
Nal’ibali stories are accessible via its website, mobile phone, 11 radio stations, and a chatbot. Through a network of reading clubs, literacy mentors (FUNda Leaders), and training partnerships, Nal’ibali aims to instil a lifelong reading culture. Where community libraries exist, these can also be leveraged. The organisation leads campaigns like South Africa’s World Read Aloud Day and launched the Nal’ibali Men’s Literacy Imbizo in 2022 to capacitate men.
Nal’ibali engages in community mapping to identify which organisations are already working in literacy, thereby avoiding duplication of effort. However, it’s essential to find like-minded partners – both Nal’ibali and Room to Read are part of the Literacy Promotion Collective, along with the DBE and the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT).
Guidance for companies and nonprofits
Lange noted there is “intervention fatigue” in some schools, as companies usually want to implement their own initiatives, regardless of what is already in place. She said it is vital to work with district authorities to understand where gaps lie. Nyathi-Mohohlwane agreed, saying this approach “helps with system coherence and leveraging funding; it’s a way to ensure we’re co-funding instead of competing.” She noted that funders may be choosing schools based on convenience and proximity rather than genuine need.
Lange highlighted the need to work with communities to determine their needs “before we dish out our materials and resources,” adding that literacy programmes should be more holistic, data-driven, and sustainable.
Nyathi-Mohohlwane advised companies not to introduce programmes on the assumption that teachers haven’t already received training. “Before coming in with a programme, do some background research on what teachers have been doing already,” she suggested. In addition, training materials should be aligned with lesson plans and should also be easily implementable.
Erens highlighted some practices that are harming literacy efforts. These include leaving literacy development to schools, driving initiatives that are not informed by research, and failing to utilise the power of advocacy to shape literacy policy.
Ultimately, Lange said companies should set aside concerns about working with direct competitors as “the ultimate goal is to improve outcomes in classrooms and lives in our communities”.
Watch the full webinar
Learn more
- Explore the literacy topic on the Trialogue Knowledge Hub
