NC children receive books to tackle literacy crisis

HUNDREDS of children across the Northern Cape have received brand-new multilingual storybooks, offering them the chance to discover the joy of reading and the tools to build a brighter future.

As the country marks National Book Week (September 5–11) and National Literacy Month, the Northern Cape has become the first province in South Africa to benefit from a grassroots literacy drive tackling the nation’s reading crisis. A total of 600 multicultural storybooks were distributed this week, placing books into the hands of young learners in some of the most underserved communities — many for the very first time.”

The initiative comes against the backdrop of alarming statistics. The 2025 Thrive by Five Index findings release this week show that less than half of pre-school children are meeting developmental milestones, with the vast majority of families owning few or no children’s books at all. Nationally, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2021) found that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning.

The Northern Cape handover reached five schools: Little Paradise in Mothibistad, Kidz Kingdom in Kangung, Little Hearts in Kuruman, Itekeng Dikweng in Dikweng, and Open Foundation in Kuruman. Each child received two carefully chosen books — one in their mother tongue to strengthen cultural identity and foundational skills, and another in English to prepare them for academic success and future opportunities.

"We are an English-medium school, where our children learn to read in their mother tongue, but their learning is in English," said principal Vanessa of Kidz Kingdom. "Far too many of our children cannot find their way outside the village because of the language barrier. Our children will live in cities, they will have good jobs or own businesses, and they will travel the world. They'll be able to speak to anyone they meet, because we are setting them up to succeed."

The provincial rollout is part of a 6,000-book national donation spanning three provinces, with the Western Cape and Gauteng next in line to benefit. The literacy campaign is supported by Read with Wimpy and Ladles of Love, who are using the non-profit organisation’s established networks to deliver books directly into the hands of children most in need at the ECD level.

The collaboration forms part of the NPO’s “Advancing Education through Nutrition Roadshow.” 

"With the right fuel for their bodies and the right tools for their minds, we're ensuring that no child is left behind due to the circumstances of their birth," said Ladles of Love programme director Yolanda Jones.

Through this initiative, the Northern Cape has set the pace for a campaign that aims not only to provide books, but to spark a culture of reading that can help rewrite South Africa’s literacy story.