A SURVEY reveals there has been a slight improvement in book ownership over two years, but many South Africans still face obstacles accessing books.

The survey, conducted by the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), found that 31% of respondents owned fewer than 10 books last year. This was a small improvement from the figures reported in 2022.

PAMSA executive director Jane Molony said the numbers indicated there was cause for concern, even though there had been some improvement in book ownership.

According to the survey, 67% of respondents own 50 or fewer books, and 17.4% own more than 100 books. In 2022, 80% of respondents said they owned 50 or fewer books and only 8.6% had more than 100.

“Access to printed books, particularly for young children, is crucial for developing literacy skills and fostering a reading culture,” said Molony.

The survey results come at a time when South Africa struggles with literacy rates and challenges of unequal early learning outcomes. In particular, nearly 80% of Grade 4 learners struggle to read for meaning in any language, indicating poor primary school literacy. Additionally, there are few children’s books published commercially in local African languages, despite eight out of 10 people speaking a home language other than English or Afrikaans.

PAMSA is hoping its support of the Book Dash 2025 campaign, which aims to make books more accessible to young readers, will help address the situation. Book Dash has already distributed over 4.5 million books to children across South Africa, and creates books in multiple local languages.

Book Dash programmes and operations director Dorette Louw said that just like other healthy lifestyle habits, there’s a gap between awareness and action. “Even when parents know it’s important to share books with preverbal children, they need an incentive or “nudge” to actually do it.”

“Physical, hard-copy books at home can provide that nudge, in a way digital books or books at school cannot. That’s why Book Dash is working hard to increase book ownership in homes, and why the support from organisations like PAMSA is crucial.”

The survey found that paper-based books remain popular, with 34.7% of respondents preferring physical books for leisure reading, compared to 7.4% who read on tablets or e-readers.

“Paper books play a vital role in early childhood development and literacy, and create a stronger educational foundation,” Molony explains. “Research consistently shows that paper-based materials promote better reading comprehension and information retention compared to digital formats. This is particularly important for developing brains.”

The Independent on Saturday

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