Literacy on the move as trolley libraries reach children’s doorsteps

More than 2 000 primary schools and educational non-profit organisations across South Africa are set to benefit from the AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign, with the 2026 rollout marking the initiative’s largest expansion to date.

The national mobile trolley library initiative, designed to improve access to books in under-resourced learning environments, also includes Braille trolley libraries for the first time, catering to blind and partially sighted learners. The announcement was made at a Johannesburg event attended by Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, and featured learner Ilia Davidson from Athlone School for the Blind.

AVBOB Road To Literacy, launched in 2022 in partnership with Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), provides primary schools and education-focused NPOs with mobile classroom libraries filled with Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)-aligned books. The campaign primarily targets Foundation and Intermediate Phase learners in Quintile 1 to 3 schools.

This year, 2 010 trolley libraries will be delivered, each containing 500 books, bringing the total number of books donated this year to one million. The overall investment totals R118 million, with each trolley valued at roughly R57 500. Braille-inclusive trolleys, containing over 100 Braille anthologies and 350 sighted readers, are valued at R323 900 each.

Minister Gwarube emphasised the importance of such partnerships, saying: "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 circumstances."

Nakedi Pilane, executive director: Business Development and Financial Services at AVBOB, highlighted the impact on learners: "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 energised, about learners who look forward to reading time, and about children who are discovering language as an avenue to curiosity and self-expression."

Karen Simpson, Managing Director of OUPSA, noted the importance of inclusion: "The need for books that children can see themselves in, and access in ways that are meaningful to 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 nearly 4 000 trolley libraries and roughly 2 million books, with a total investment of R227 million, benefiting just under 4 000 schools and NPOs. The 2026 rollout represents the most ambitious year of the campaign, expanding both its reach and the variety of learners it can serve.