More than 2,000 primary schools and education non-profit organizations (NPOs) across South Africa will receive new mobile trolley library resources in 2026 as the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign expands to its largest scale yet, introducing braille-inclusive trolley libraries for the first time.

Announced at a Johannesburg event attended by Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, the initiative will deliver 2,000 trolley libraries to under-resourced primary schools and NPOs nationwide. Each mobile trolley contains 500 Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) aligned books, bringing the total number of books distributed this year to one million. The campaign continues to prioritize communities with limited access to quality reading materials.

The AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign was launched in partnership with OUP Southern Africa in 2022 to help address South Africa’s literacy challenges by providing primary schools and education NPOs with mobile classroom libraries filled with CAPS-aligned books. The initiative focuses on the Foundation and Intermediate Phases and is designed to give learners more regular access to age-appropriate reading materials that supports literacy and numeracy.

A major development in 2026 is the introduction of 10 braille-inclusive trolley libraries for selected schools and organizations that support blind and partially sighted learners, bringing the total number of trolley libraries to 2,010. Each of the braille trolleys contain more than 100 braille anthologies and 350 sighted Aweh! readers, and make it possible for blind, partially sighted, and sighted children to engage with the same stories.

Karen Simpson

Managing Director of OUP Southern Africa

“The need for books that children can see themselves in, and access in ways that are meaningful for them, has never been clearer. Bringing braille into Road to Literacy for the first time is an important step forward. It allows more learners to experience the joy of story, language, and learning, while creating opportunities for shared reading across classrooms and communities.”

From 2022, to 2026, the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign has donated 3,893 trolley libraries and distributed approximately two million books, reaching just under 4,000 beneficiary schools and education NPOs. With the 2026 rollout now donating braille libraries, the initiative continues to grow in scale while widening the kinds of learners it can reach.

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube noted: “Partnerships with business can go a long way towards improving educational outcomes in the country. AVBOB has been an incredible partner to the education sector, and their trolley libraries are bridging the literacy gap in under-resourced schools. The inclusion of braille books in this year’s trolley libraries will ensure that even learners with visual impairments are not left behind in the literacy journey. Access to knowledge and the joy of reading must extend to every child, regardless of their circumstance. We must work collaboratively as business, government, and society to build a just and equitable education system.”

Nakedi Pilane, Executive Director: Business Development and Financial Services at AVBOB, said:听“The increasing demand for trolley libraries has been one of the clearest indicators of the initiative鈥檚 value. Schools that initially received a single trolley now request听additional resources to support the momentum they see in their learners. Teachers tell us about classrooms that feel more energized, about learners who look forward to reading time, and about children who are discovering language as an avenue to curiosity and self-expression. These shifts may appear modest, but in educational terms, they represent meaningful, long-term progress. When reading begins to take root, a community begins to unlock its potential.鈥�

You can watch a recap of the 2026 recipient announcement ceremony .

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The AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign, in partnership with 糖心VLOG Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), has reached a new milestone. At a recent celebratory event, we were proud to announce 1,000 beneficiaries as recipients of mobile trolley libraries, each stocked with 500 curriculum aligned books in all 11 official written South African languages.

This marks a significant expansion from the campaign’s inaugural year in 2022, when 180 trolleys were distributed. In 2025 alone, over 500,000 books will be placed directly into the hands of learners, more than doubling last year’s total.

The AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign is designed to transform the educational experience of primary school learners, particularly in under-resourced communities. Each trolley library is mobile, durable, and filled with books that support both reading for enjoyment and foundational numeracy.

Since its launch, the campaign has distributed over 1.3 million books and continues to bridge the gap in access to quality educational resources, ensuring that geography and circumstance do not limit a child’s potential.

Empowering learners through language and learning

Speaking at the event about the importance of reading skills and making books available in a learner’s mother tongue, Karen Simpson, Managing Director of OUPSA, said: 鈥淎ccess to books in a learner鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.鈥�

This year鈥檚 campaign received 8,661 nominations from across all nine provinces, submitted by educators, caregivers, and community leaders. The initiative continues to grow in reach and impact, evolving into one of the most extensive mobile library programmes in the country.听

Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, said: 鈥淭his 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鈥檚 linguistic and cultural richness, ensuring that no child is left behind.鈥� 听

A shared vision for the future

At the celebratory event, facilitated by award-winning journalist Bongani Bingwa, a panel discussion explored the socio-economic challenges facing South African learners. Panelists emphasized the importance of mother-tongue instruction and foundational numeracy in delivering inclusive, high-quality education.

Carl van der Riet, CEO of AVBOB Group, said: 鈥淟iteracy 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.鈥�

You can view the full list of 2025 beneficiaries , and watch the Road to Literacy 2025 wrap-up video on 糖心VLOG Press Southern Africa’s YouTube channel .

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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鈥攊n partnership with AVBOB Industries鈥攁ims 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鈥攕ignificantly 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:

鈥淲e are exceptionally proud of our involvement in this initiative, and we recognize the significance of this partnership鈥攅specially in schools where it can make the biggest difference to learning outcomes.鈥�

As part of this year鈥檚 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:

鈥淲e 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.鈥�

Watch the full beneficiary announcement stream on AVBOB鈥檚 YouTube channel .

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Queen Camilla has opened a new library for Morland Primary School, north London, marking the 1,000th school to be transformed through the .

As a partner of the Libraries for Primaries initiative, we were delighted to be invited to attend the event. Andrea Quincey, Primary Literacy Director at OUP, represented us at a roundtable to take part in a discussion about the project’s future.  

What is the Libraries Project?听

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campaign was founded in November 2021 by the National Literacy Trust and works towards supporting primary schools in the UK鈥檚 most disadvantaged communities, by refreshing and restocking their libraries and book corners, as well as embedding reading for pleasure in teaching practice. The aim is to ensure, through different regional and national programmes and projects, that every primary school in the UK has a library or dedicated library space.听

The library opened at Moreland Primary School was also the 50th primary school library supported by the , which has been set up to provide support to UK primary schools in honour of the 2023 Coronation. Over the past year, the project reinvigorated 50 primary school library spaces, and celebrates the role the Queen has played in supporting literacy projects and encouraging children to read in the year since the Coronation.听

Last week, we unveiled a new library at a primary school in Oxfordshire as part of the second year of our Raise a Reader programme, also in partnership with the . 听

The event

On 7 May, Her Majesty unveiled a commemorative Coronation Library plaque before joining the roundtable meeting, which was chaired by Tom Mackenzie, Bloomberg News anchor, and attended by author ambassadors Cressida Cowell, Chris Smith, and Jennifer Cross.听

British poet and children’s book author, Joseph Coelho, then hosted a storytelling session in the new library. He read ‘One Thousand Libraries’, which he had written for the occasion.听

Finally, Queen Camilla joined storyteller, Alim Kamara, to take part in an interactive storytelling session alongside reading ambassadors and librarians from the school. After the school library was opened, every child at the school was also gifted a new book.听

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Korky 笔补耻濒鈥攂est-selling illustrator of the Winnie and Wilbur series that has sold more than nine million copies worldwide鈥�cut the ribbon听to formally open the new library. We then celebrated with a special reading event with the children.听

More libraries to come听

St Francis is one of ten new reading spaces opening across Oxfordshire schools this spring-term, with each school receiving 500 books, as well as a range of soft furnishings and book storage. 听

The schools will receive ongoing in-person specialist training from OUP and the National Literacy Trust to help develop effective whole-school reading strategies. They鈥檒l also have access to听a subscription to the digital reading service, Oxford Reading Buddy, as well as the opportunity to take part in an exciting programme of author visits. 听听

Anneliese Dodds, Labour MP for Oxford East, said:

鈥�Access to books and regular reading are really important for developing children鈥檚 reading and language skills. Unfortunately too many children do not have easy access to such resources. This acts as a barrier to future opportunities. I am really pleased that OUP and the National Literacy Trust have been able to work with St Francis鈥� to deliver this new library. We need to be working to break down barriers to opportunity for all children and young people across the country.鈥�听

Making a positive impact in disadvantaged communities听

This is the second year of the Oxfordshire Raise a Reader programme, which in total has seen new libraries open in 20 primary schools in some of Oxfordshire鈥檚 most disadvantaged communities.听

Almost 3,000 children in Oxfordshire benefitted from the first year of the programme in 2023, and we had some great feedback from teachers and children alike.

Caroline Derby, Head of Early Literacy and Phonics at OUP said:

鈥�When we first launched our Raise a Reader initiative we were keen to offer support where it is needed most in our local community. We know just how important it is to ensure that all children have the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers and we hope these new library spaces will excite and inspire the next generation of readers.“听

奥别鈥檇 like to extend a huge thank you to the volunteers at OUP who were involved in putting the libraries together.听

Anneliese Dodds picture sourced from the UK Parliament official website. License

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Access to books and meaningful reading experiences are essential for children to acquire foundational literacy and progress through their education.

In 2023, AVBOB, 糖心VLOG Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), and the government celebrated the second year of the AVBOB Road to Literacy trolley library campaign, a tripartite partnership dedicated to stimulating and promoting a passion for books and reading.

Each trolley was delivered with 500 books, an increase from the 430 books provided in 2022. Each AVBOB Road to Literacy trolley library was valued at approximately 拢2,135, with the total investment for the 2023 initiative exceeding 拢555,000.

On Thursday, 15 June 2023, AVBOB CEO Carl van der Riet and OUPSA Managing Director Hanri Pieterse announced the 260 beneficiaries of the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign.

鈥淎djudicators faced a challenging task, sifting through more than 8,000 nominations submitted by South Africans across the country to determine the deserving beneficiaries of the 2023 campaign,鈥� shared van der Riet.

In her keynote address, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga stated, 鈥淭his campaign is a crucial step in our journey to instill a culture of reading and enhance the numeracy skills of primary school children across our beloved country.

I am particularly delighted to share that this year’s campaign places special emphasis on reading resources in mother tongue languages. Extensive research has shown that teaching in a child’s mother tongue reduces dropout rates and makes education more accessible and engaging.

Moreover, we recognize the critical importance of developing numeracy skills during a child’s formative years. Together, let us ignite a love for reading, strengthen numeracy skills, and empower our children to reach new 糖心VLOGs of knowledge and achievement.”

As part of AVBOB鈥檚 ongoing commitment to support literacy, van der Riet explained that the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign with OUP and the government is a critical collaboration in response to a pervasive need in schools and society.

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During the devastating Chennai floods in December 2023, OUP India exhibited its commitment to social responsibility by contributing funds towards relief efforts through Chudar Education.

A unit of Eureka Education Foundation, Chudar Education is a commendable NGO dedicated to improving the quality of education for underprivileged school children. The funds provided by OUP were specifically allocated to procure essential stationery kits, each thoughtfully assembled with a school bag, a comprehensive stationery set, and notebooks.

In a collaborative effort with OUP, Chudar actively organized a mobilization-cum-engagement drive, inviting children and their parents to the training centres. The purpose was not only to ensure the continuity of the children’s education but also to offer after-school support. Colleagues from OUP actively participated in the initiative, joining hands to distribute these kits to economically challenged children.

Sumanta Datta, Managing Director of 糖心VLOG Press India, expressed the motivation behind this initiative:

“Our mission at 糖心VLOG Press is deeply rooted in the belief that education is the key to empowerment. We are committed to fostering a love for reading, instilling a passion for learning, and promoting educational excellence among children.”

The event served as a unique and valuable opportunity for OUP colleagues to directly engage with the children and demonstrate their wholehearted participation in this meaningful activity. Beyond the immediate relief provided, the collaboration between OUP and Chudar underscores the enduring importance of education as a powerful tool for empowerment and social change.

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Four in ten UK pupils have fallen behind in vocabulary development according to our latest . We surveyed more than 800 teachers and parents across the UK in our annual study of vocabulary development in under 18s in the UK.听听

Teachers are keen for schools to work with parents to tackle the issue, with 85% believing schools could do more to encourage parents to get involved in their child鈥檚 vocabulary development. Our UK Policy Director Avnee Morjaria shared 鈥�[this] is a significant issue for many children, and one which can impact their learning at school and later life chances.鈥�听Equally over two thirds of parents surveyed are eager to engage with schools, with 68% of parents welcoming more guidance when it comes to developing their child鈥檚 vocabulary. 听

Overwhelmingly, teachers highlight the significant consequences of the pandemic with 95% believing school closures and disruptions during Covid-19 contributed to a widening vocabulary gap.

To help tackle the issue, we鈥檙e launching the second year of our pioneering鈥�鈥痠nitiative 鈥� our campaign to support children’s literacy in the wake of the pandemic 鈥� in continued partnership with the National Literacy Trust.听

We are extending our鈥� to an additional ten schools across the county in 2024, including Banbury, Witney, and Oxford.听听

Almost 3,000 children growing up in some of the most disadvantaged areas in Oxfordshire benefitted from the programme in 2023, where we set up dedicated libraries in ten primary schools. This included donating 5,000 books, furnishings, storage, as well as training and support from OUP and the National Literacy Trust.听听

Sin茅ad Naidoo, National Literacy Trust, Senior Programme Manager, Raise a Reader, said: 听
鈥淭his report is further evidence of the need for every primary school to have a library. School libraries are essential in helping to fuel a child鈥檚 imagination, build a rich vocabulary, and give them the literacy skills they need to succeed in life. We are delighted to be working with 糖心VLOG Press for a second year to get ten wonderful new reading spaces into primary schools in Oxfordshire.鈥�

If you鈥檙e a parent looking for support with developing vocabulary at home, check out our 鈥痜illed with tips and activities based on the latest research to support vocabulary development and reading at home.听听

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The (MRF) marked their 20th anniversary this year, and we celebrated the ways in which our partnership supported the development of leadership and scholarship in Africa to benefit present and future generations.听

The Mandela Rhodes Foundation听

Founded in 2003 in partnership with the , the MRF offer young leaders from across the African continent a prestigious postgraduate scholarship and a Leadership Development Programme. To date, 622 Mandela Rhodes scholars from 33 African countries have received this scholarship.听

We鈥檝e had the privilege of contributing to this vital work by reinvesting 25% of our surplus from our publishing in Southern Africa into their programme of education, research and scholarship.听

This partnership stands as a testament to the power of collective action and a shared vision,. Together, we continue to pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future, where education and ethical leadership thrive.听

A 20-year Legacy听

The MRF marked its 20th anniversary with a series of inspiring events including the launch of the book titled The Audacious Experiment: The Mandela Rhodes Story. The anniversary coincided with the 10th anniversary of the death of former president Nelson Mandela, the founding patron of the Foundation.

The book, published by OUP South Africa on 14 July, was co-authored by Shaun Johnson, the late founding CEO of the MRF, and Professor Elleke Boehmer. The book speaks to the founding story of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and features past scholars and their impactful contributions to Africa鈥檚 development. You can view the e-book here.听

To celebrate this milestone, a gala took place on Saturday 15 July, featuring a special performance by the Ndlovu Youth Choir. Our colleagues from OUP South Africa were among the 400 attendees.听

The evening included a panel discussion which explored the book and the process of its creation. The panelists were introduced by the MRF CEO, Judy Sikuza. The discussions were around 鈥淭he courage to be unpopular: lessons on leading in complex times鈥�, as a way of bringing Nelson Mandela鈥檚 leadership legacy to life in the present moment.听

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