Road to Literacy campaign reaches 2,010 South African schools

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: “The increasing demand for trolley libraries has been one of the clearest indicators of the initiative’s value. Schools that initially received a single trolley now request 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.”

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