Our Work in South Africa

In South Africa, The Library Project provides free Reading Corners, Book Donations, and Literacy Programs to rural elementary schools. These programs support children and youth living in rural communities by increasing access to books, strengthening classroom reading opportunities, and helping students build the literacy skills they need to continue learning.

Our Reading Corners support classrooms by placing age-appropriate books directly where students learn each day. Our Book Donations support both classroom libraries and school libraries, helping schools expand access to reading materials and create more opportunities for students to read independently.

The Library Project also provides Capacity Building for local literacy nonprofit organizations in South Africa. This support is free of charge and may include one-on-one mentoring, planning tools, fundraising guidance, program development support, and access to practical resources. By strengthening local organizations, we help build long-term, community-led literacy impact.

Literacy in South Africa

South Africa faces a serious reading and literacy challenge. The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study found that 81 percent of South African Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language. This means that many children reach the middle years of primary school without the foundational reading skills needed to learn confidently across subjects.

Access to books and reading spaces remains an important issue, especially in under-resourced and rural schools. Research on rural classroom libraries in Limpopo found that schools experienced a major lack of resources and a complete lack of school libraries. A separate review of school libraries in South Africa noted that only a small percentage of schools have well-resourced and staffed libraries, with even fewer in some rural provinces.

Reading is the foundation for learning across all subjects. When students struggle to read, they are more likely to fall behind, lose confidence, and face greater barriers to continuing their education. In South Africa, classroom-based reading support, school libraries, and locally led literacy programs are essential to helping children build stronger reading habits.

The Library Project’s work in South Africa responds to this need by supporting rural schools with free Reading Corners, Book Donations, and Literacy Programs, while also strengthening local literacy nonprofit organizations through Capacity Building. Together, these efforts help create more reading opportunities for students and support long-term, community-led literacy impact.