Reaching learners and educators across rural Africa

Ever wondered how our books reach people in some of the most remote corners of the world?

At Oxford University Press, we further the University of Oxford’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Ensuring access to high-quality education resources, regardless of location or internet access, is essential to that mission. From fostering a love of reading to supporting lifelong learning, our work is contributing to education globally.

We speak with colleagues from OUP South Africa to learn more about the work they do to get high-quality learning materials to learners across the continent.

What are some of the challenges you and our distributors face in getting books to rural areas?

Vanessa Duff, Operations Director – Africa: Access to remote communities can present geographical and infrastructure challenges. In areas where the road network is compromised (or possibly non-existent), couriers can struggle to reach the delivery addresses. Inclement weather can further impede our access, where the terrain or roads and bridges are washed away. Many parts of the countries we serve are faced with political instability, which can make those areas unsafe. As a result, there may be few suppliers who are able to serve those communities, so we may have limited options in who we can partner with.

How do our books reach learners in these areas?

Vanessa: In many of the markets we serve—for example, Zambia—we do not have an office or any OUP colleagues. This means we need to engage third-party suppliers to support us in activities such as distribution, sales, and marketing. The strength of these supplier relationships ensures we can meet our delivery obligations effectively and affordably, and we work with these suppliers to include some contingency for inevitable logistical challenges.

The fact that we can reach such remote places is life-changing for the people in those communities.

Can you share a story or example of where access to books has made a tangible difference in a learner’s life or community?

Celeste Grimett, Sales Manager: From my side, I’ll share a story heard recently from teachers based in Ohangwena, one of the northern most regions in Namibia, very close to the Angolan border.

Namibia’s official language is English and Angola’s official language is Portuguese. Learners living in Angola attend quite a few schools in Ohangwena as they want to learn English and learn in English. They walk across the border every day to go to school and because their home language is Portuguese, one of the very important tools that teachers use to help them learn English is books. We publish for the local Namibian curriculum, and our books are part of the material they use to succeed. I was in this region recently and although the season is winter, temperatures still rise up to 35 degrees Celsius. You can imagine what summer temperatures would feel like and yet, according to the teachers, these children seldom miss school.

In the workshops we conducted in Namibia, teachers spoke about how access to our textbooks helped them with teaching and assessment. Knowledge of questioning and assessment techniques found within the textbooks has helped their learners to progress.

In Zambia, we know that some districts are so isolated that to reach them requires driving through areas that do not contain roads, or may even require crossing rivers and lakes in unstable canoes. From the conversations with the booksellers who service these markets, the gratitude expressed by teachers and learners alike when a delivery of books arrives, is very moving.

A motorbike on a mokoro (a dug-out canoe) carrying books to schools with no road access.

Sharon Villette, Publisher: It is always good to do classroom visits and see children’s reactions when they engage with our books. Their handling of and reactions to tangible books are always heartwarming.

For the learners, being able to relate to the stories and the daily challenges experienced by the characters makes a vast difference to their journey of learning how to read for meaning.

How do we ensure our content is relevant to underserved learners?

Yolandi Farham, Product Director: To ensure our content is truly relevant to underserved learners, we begin by acknowledging the realities of their access to resources. In many communities, access to technology is limited or non-existent, which is why we continue to prioritize printed books as the most accessible and effective medium. A single printed book can become a gateway to knowledge in a home where there may be fewer than five books.

We align our content closely with the local curriculum, and we are intentional about using stories, examples, and imagery that reflect the socio-economic environments learners experience daily. It’s essential that learners see themselves and their circumstances represented in the content—they need to feel seen and understood. At the same time, we incorporate aspirational elements: articles, stories, and visuals that spark curiosity and encourage a love of lifelong learning.

Our books feature a diverse range of characters and narratives that learners can relate to, while also taking them on journeys beyond their immediate surroundings. As learners progress to higher grades, our focus shifts toward developing critical thinking and fostering engagement with the wider world.

Yolandi Farham

“Through carefully crafted content, we aim not only to educate but to inspire—opening up new possibilities and helping learners imagine futures beyond their current realities.”

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for expanding access to more underserved communities?

Zeenat Norton, Marketing Director: The Road to Literacy project in South Africa is a nationwide initiative that empowers underserved communities by providing mobile trolley libraries filled with 500 curriculum-aligned books in all 11 official South African languages. By 2025, in its fourth year, the campaign had donated 1,930 libraries to under resourced, often remote schools and non-profit organizations (NPOs), directly addressing literacy and numeracy challenges in early education.

Its long-term vision is to foster a love of reading, promote mother tongue learning, and build confidence and agency among young learners. In 2026, this campaign will scale, expanding access by donating 2,000 libraries. As one of South Africa’s largest mobile library programmes, it aims to create lasting educational impact in communities most in need.