Biblionef South Africa

Today we honour the young people who stood up for their right to education in 1976.

Their courage reminds us that access to learning can never be taken for granted. Every child deserves the opportunity to read, learn in their home language, and discover the joy of books.

This Youth Day, Biblionef continues its work of putting quality children’s books into the hands of young readers across the country, helping to grow a love of reading in every language.

We are excited to share the transformation of the library at Phakama Primary School in Mpumalanga!

Over the past few months, the renovation team has worked hard to repair the roof, plaster and paint the walls, fit lighting, reinforce windows for safety, and lay new floor tiles.

The difference is remarkable.

What was once a damaged and neglected space is now a bright, welcoming library, soon to be filled with books and ready to inspire young readers. The school principal has shared her excitement as the project has come together.

The renovation work is now complete, and over the coming weeks we will be filling the shelves with beautiful books in isiZulu and English, transforming this room into the vibrant library it was always meant to be.

Thank you to our fieldworker for monitoring the project on the ground and helping ensure everything ran smoothly. And thank you to Komatsu South Africa for making this transformation possible. This partnership highlights what becomes possible when
corporates and NGOs work together to transform under-resourced spaces into places where children can learn, read, and thrive.

We look forward to sharing the finished library with you soon!

We recently received feedback from Education Africa on the Hanging Libraries placed in 10 ECD centres in Orange Farm and Soweto, and the updates were a wonderful reminder of why this work matters. ✨

Seeing books become part of a child’s everyday environment can have a meaningful impact, and the feedback from teachers shows just how valuable these resources have been in their classrooms. Seven of the ten teachers are now using the books every day, while the remaining three are using them several times a week. Every centre has its Hanging Library on display and in active use.

What stood out most was hearing about the changes teachers are seeing in the children themselves. One teacher shared:
“Even the quieter children are now more involved; they want to listen and be part of the story.”

Teachers are noticing growing interest in books, stronger language development, improved concentration, and more children choosing books independently and engaging with reading on their own.

For many of these preschools, access to books is limited. A Hanging Library may seem like a simple resource, but for many children it creates opportunities to explore stories, make choices for themselves, and build a relationship with books from an early age.

Thank you to Education Africa for sharing these encouraging reflections, and to HCI Foundation for making this work possible through their support. 📚

Recently, Biblionef South Africa celebrated the graduation of Darcell Kopman and Nokuthula Mbenyane from the DGMT Innovation Fellowship, and it felt like an important moment to mark.

What began as a focus on programme growth became something we didn’t fully anticipate: a genuine organisational reckoning with how we work together. How we communicate, where trust lives, and how staff at every level experience the work day-to-day.

Over the past year, Darcell and Thula stewarded a process of honest conversation and collective reflection, the kind that organisations often defer but rarely regret when they finally have. Some of it was affirming. Some of it challenged us. But all of it was worthwhile.

We are grateful to the DGMT Innovation Fellowship for creating this opportunity, and to coaches Claudia Clayton and Carol-Ann Foulis for their steady guidance throughout. Most importantly, we thank every staff member who engaged with openness and courage.

To Darcell and Thula, thank you for holding this process with such care and integrity. The work you started will continue to shape how we move forward as an organisation.

As graduates, they now join the DGMT Innovation Fellowship Alumni Network of over 100 past fellows, a community that extends the learning well beyond any single programme or organisation. We look forward to seeing what that connection makes possible.

Today is World Book Day.

For many children in South Africa, it’s also just another day without a book in their language.

We have commissioned the publishing of “Ausi Told Me: The Secrets of Nature” in six South African languages: English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Afrikaans. And for the first time, a children’s book in Khoekhoegowab.

Same story. Six languages. More children who get to see themselves in it.

This is what we mean by access.

: Our project manager and fieldworker spent the past two weeks in Mpumalanga for the first school visits of the year, as we begin the final year of our three-year literacy project with DGMT.

During this visit, teachers participated in workshops focused on integrating one storybook into a week-long lesson plan, improving their decoding skills, developing higher-order thinking questions for their learners, understanding the importance of nursery rhymes, and creating post-reading activities. The sessions also showed how these methods align with the CAPS curriculum and support meaningful classroom practice.

We were also pleased to welcome a representative from the DG Murray Trust, who spent time with our team and educators to observe the project in action.

When teachers grow, readers grow. We’re excited for what this final year will bring!

: This week, we closed off our Sabinet-supported project in the Kwaggafontein Circuit, Mpumalanga.

1,040 storybooks were distributed to 52 Foundation Phase teachers across 12 primary schools. Each teacher received 20 books, including titles in isiNdebele and English, along with display boxes to keep the books accessible in their classrooms.

Beyond the books, teachers took part in practical workshops and classroom mentoring focused on shared reading and writing, higher-order questioning, translanguaging, and creative literacy activities. The training is aligned with CAPS and supports teachers to confidently integrate storybooks into daily lessons.

Teachers received their certificates this week, marking the end of this phase of the project. We are proud of their commitment and grateful for the enthusiasm they showed throughout.

We wish each teacher strength and confidence as they continue building a love of reading in their classrooms!