AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign gives hope to 1 000 schools and NGOs through trolley libraries

SPONSORED - The 1,000 beneficiaries of the 2025 AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign, in collaboration with Oxford University Press South Africa (OUPSA) are announced. The campaign is a nationwide trolley library initiative that continues to improve access to books in communities across South Africa, with a focus on schools and non-profit organisations (NPOs). The announcement was made at an event hosted at the Sandton Hotel in Johannesburg on 29 May 2025.

The project addresses the ongoing challenges of low literacy and numeracy levels at the foundation phase by providing young learners with culturally and linguistically relevant materials in all 11 official written languages.

This year’s campaign reflects substantial growth from the 180 library trolleys distributed in its inaugural year, 2022. Each of the 1,000 mobile library includes 500 OUPSA books selected to support literacy and numeracy skills in alignment with the CAPS curriculum. The total number of books distributed this year will exceed 500,000, up from 250,000 in 2024.

Speaking on a panel alongside Carl van der Riet (CEO of AVBOB Group), Karen Simpson (MD of OUPSA), Gugu Ndebele (Executive Director of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls), the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube remarked: “This initiative is a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnerships. The campaign addresses a pressing national priority, the development of foundational literacy and numeracy, while supporting policy frameworks aimed at integrating diversity into school curricula. It does so in a way that honours South Africa’s linguistic and cultural richness, ensuring that no child is left behind.”

Simpson added that the partnership reflects the organisation’s core belief that literacy is a foundation for lifelong learning and opportunity. “Access to books in a learner’s mother tongue has a profound impact on their ability to grasp foundational concepts, stay engaged in the classroom, and remain in the education system. We are steadfast on publishing our books in all of South Africa’s official written languages, and the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign enables us to place these resources directly in the hands of the learners who need them most.”

Each trolley library is valued at R57,000, bringing the total investment for the 2025 campaign to R57 million. The trolleys are designed to be mobile, durable, and easy to access in shared or under-resourced learning environments. Along with books that promote reading for enjoyment, they include materials designed to develop numeracy, making the campaign one of the few national projects focused on both reading and mathematics at the foundational phase.

The campaign also continues to grow in reach and engagement. This year’s campaign received 8,661 nominations from across all nine provinces, submitted by educators, caregivers, community leaders and members of the public.

Van der Riet said that although the campaign has grown substantially, its original purpose is to provide access to quality education materials, dignity and hope for a better future. “Literacy and numeracy are academic skills and critical tools for participation, for opportunity, and dignity.”

“They are the building blocks of future learning and the means by which children are empowered to shape their own lives. The AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign embodies our belief that meaningful social investment must be both practical and purpose-driven.”

He added that AVBOB, as a mutual society, exists for the benefit of its members and the wider community. “At AVBOB, giving back to communities is more than a commitment — it’s a core part of who we are. We remain deeply guided by our founders’ promise of always putting people first, a principle that continues to be the golden thread in everything we do. Through the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign, we aim to support underserved communities in a way that uplifts and empowers them, while respecting their dignity and fostering lasting impact.”

Adding to this sentiment during the 29 May 2025 panel discussion, Ndebele said, “We believe that education is the most powerful tool for changing a learners’ future. Literacy unlocks confidence, agency and opportunity. We are inspired by this initiative’s focus, and we hope it will ignite a lifelong love of reading in every child who encounters one of these trolley libraries.”

Since 2022, the campaign has evolved from a pilot initiative into one of the most extensive mobile library programmes in the country. Educational experts have long advocated for mother tongue instruction at the early stages of schooling. Research has consistently shown that when children learn to read in their home language, they are more likely to stay in school, perform better academically, and transition successfully to additional languages later in life.

Despite this, access to books in African languages remains limited, especially in underfunded schools. The Road to Literacy campaign helps address this gap, ensuring that the joy of reading, and the practical foundation of numeracy, is not restricted by geography or circumstance.

Editor’s notes:

The complete list of the 1,000 beneficiaries of the 2025 Road to Literacy campaign are as follows: