Driving literacy skills in South Africa with AVBOB: Road to Literacy

In a special ceremony, we have announced the 500 beneficiaries of mobile trolley libraries as part of the Road to Literacy campaign in South Africa.

In its third year, the campaign—in partnership with AVBOB Industries—aims to help improve reading and literacy skills, responding to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 report which revealed that 75% of South African schools face a shortage of reading materials—significantly higher than the international average of 45%.

Speaking about the positive impact this campaign has for South African children, Karen Simpson, Managing Director of OUP Africa, said:

“We are exceptionally proud of our involvement in this initiative, and we recognize the significance of this partnership—especially in schools where it can make the biggest difference to learning outcomes.”

As part of this year’s R32.5 million investment, we have donated 500 books to go into each of the 500 trolley libraries to be delivered to deserving primary schools and other educational non-profit organizations across the country. All 11 official written South African languages are represented in these high-quality books targeted at school ages.

After more than 7,500 nominations for primary schools and non-profit organizations, we announced the 500 beneficiaries who would receive a mobile trolley library at a ceremony hosted by AVBOB and streamed online.

Carl van der Riet, CEO of AVBOB Industries, spoke about the importance of the campaign and our partnership:

“We are committed to improving education and literacy in South Africa, empowering communities through access to quality learning resources. Our mutual status empowers us to reinvest into meaningful initiatives. By aligning our business success with social progress, we bring about positive change in our communities.”

Watch the full beneficiary announcement stream on AVBOB’s YouTube channel here.