One million books, countless dreams: Help Gauteng learners read
Literacy opens doors. The Road to Literacy 2026 campaign is calling on parents, teachers, and the public to nominate schools where reading can transform classrooms and inspire curiosity.
The excitement that lit up Sandton last year is spreading once again across Gauteng.
The Road to Literacy campaign, now entering its fifth year, is calling on communities to nominate schools and education-focused organisations for 2026.
In 2025, more than 430 Gauteng schools benefited from mobile reading trolley libraries, including roughly 120 in Johannesburg alone. These trolleys, filled with books aligned to the CAPS curriculum in all 11 official languages, have helped learners discover the joy of reading, boosted confidence, and brought classrooms alive.
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This year, the campaign is aiming even higher. Oxford University Press Southern Africa and AVBOB plan to deliver 2 000 trolley libraries, a staggering one million books to under-resourced schools across South Africa by March 2026.
Each library is valued at R57 500, representing a total investment of R115m in children’s literacy.
Karen Simpson, managing director of Oxford University Press Southern Africa, said, “These trolleys aren’t just about books. They open doors to imagination, comprehension, and confidence. Reading in a child’s home language makes learning meaningful and enjoyable.”
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AVBOB executive director Nakedi Pilane added, “Even one trolley can transform a classroom. Now, with 2 000 libraries, we can ignite curiosity and creativity in thousands more learners.”
Nominating a school couldn’t be simpler. Parents, teachers, principals, alumni, learners, the public, and non-profits can all submit nominations. “Schools chosen will be those where the trolleys can make the greatest impact, helping teachers enrich lessons and learners fall in love with reading,” Simpson said.
For nominations, click on the link here.
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