For many children, the ability to read is not a given, it is a turning point; one that shapes how they learn, how they see the world, and what they believe is possible. This understanding framed the fifth annual AVBOB Road to Literacy winner announcement, held at Modderfontein’s Focus Rooms on 30 April 2026. More than a milestone, the event marked five years of the “Nominate to Educate” campaign, a sustained effort aimed at strengthening a reading culture in South Africa’s schools, particularly in rural and township communities.
Led by AVBOB, in partnership with Oxford University Press Southern Africa and the Department of Basic Education, the campaign was born out of a clear concern: too many learners are moving through the schooling system without strong reading foundations in the early years. Over time, it has grown in both reach and intent, now extending to a quarter of the country’s schools.
The alignment between the AVBOB Road to Literacy Campaign and the 7th Administration priorities of Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, made her involvement a natural fit, which places a strong focus on expanding access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD), strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy in the early years, and advancing inclusive education for all learners to be supported from the start of their schooling journey.
At the centre of this year’s announcement was the rollout of 2,000 trolley libraries, each carrying 500 CAPS-aligned books, set to reach schools across all nine provinces. For learners in under-resourced communities, these libraries offer more than access to reading material; they bring stories, language and learning directly into classrooms where resources are often limited.
In her address, Minister Gwarube placed literacy at the centre of life chances and stressed that early-grade literacy and numeracy are critical, not only for educational success, but also for economic inclusion, warning that children who cannot read for meaning by age 10 face lifelong limitations. She framed literacy as a national economic imperative, linking it directly to poverty reduction, workforce development, and long-term national prosperity.
The campaign has also taken deliberate steps to widen inclusion, with the introduction of Braille trolley libraries ensuring that blind and visually impaired learners are fully included in this reading journey, while books are now available in all 11 official languages to support mother-tongue learning, helping young learners build stronger comprehension and confidence by learning in the languages they understand best.
AVBOB’s General Manager for Shared Value and Sustainability, Ms Kebo Mosweusweu, highlighted that progress of this nature depends on sustained collaboration. She noted that meaningful change in education requires long-term commitment from government, the private sector and communities working towards a shared goal.
As the event drew to a close, the message remained clear: lasting change is built through consistency and partnership, and the real winners are not only the schools receiving libraries, but the learners gaining early and meaningful access to stories, language and learning that can shape their entire educational journey. “Let us walk this road together, the road to literacy, the road to opportunity, and the road to a thriving South Africa where every child, no matter where they are born, can read their way into a future they once only dreamed of,” concluded Minister Gwarube.