The wait is finally over, nominations for Road to Literacy 2026 now open
After over 430 Gauteng schools benefited from Road to Literacy 2025, including 120 in Johannesburg, it’s time for Gauteng to shine again. Nominate a deserving school and help put books in young hands.
The excitement of last year’s Road to Literacy announcement ceremony held in Sandton is still resonating across Gauteng.
In 2025, over 430 schools and education-focused organisations in the province received mobile reading trolley libraries, with roughly 120 in Johannesburg alone.
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Now, Oxford University Press Southern Africa and AVBOB are inviting communities to help make 2026 even bigger.
The campaign is doubling its reach, with 2 000 trolley libraries, equivalent to one million CAPS-aligned books in all 11 official languages, ready to be delivered to under-resourced schools and education-focused organisations across the country.
And here’s the simple part: you don’t need to donate money or make a long-term commitment. All it takes is a nomination. Parents, teachers, principals, alumni, learners, neighbours, and non-profits can all put forward schools that are committed to improving literacy in the foundation or intermediate phase.
Oxford University Press Southern Africa managing director Karen Simpson said, “Every nomination matters. These trolleys aren’t just books; they represent confidence, imagination, comprehension, and possibility. When learners have access to books in their home language, reading becomes meaningful, not intimidating.”
AVBOB executive director Nakedi Pilane added, “Year five is our most ambitious yet. Two thousand trolley libraries mean one million books in the hands of young readers. We’ve seen how even a single trolley can shift the energy of a classroom and unlock a learner’s confidence.”
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Each library is valued at R57 500, and the campaign’s 2026 rollout represents a R115m investment in South African children’s literacy.
“Schools are carefully chosen so the trolleys land where they can make the biggest impact, helping children discover the joy of reading and giving teachers the resources they need to make lessons come alive,” Simpson said.
Somewhere in Sandton or greater Gauteng, a learner is waiting for their first favourite book. Somewhere, a teacher is waiting for resources that spark curiosity and imagination.
You already know a school or a non-profit organisation that deserves that chance.
For nominations, click on the link here. Nominations are open until March 31, 2026.
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