South Africa’s reading crisis has reached alarming proportions, with eight out of every 10 Grade 4 pupils unable to read for meaning in any of the country’s 11 official languages.
The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study reveals that 914 000 children in Grade 4 – representing 81% of the cohort – lack basic reading comprehension skills. The figure places South Africa dead last among 57 countries and regions assessed.
Decade of progress reversed
The numbers tell a troubling story. Between 2016 and 2021, South Africa recorded the steepest decline among all participating countries with comparable data. The proportion of children who cannot read for meaning rose from 78% to 81%, wiping out 10 years of slow but steady gains.
In 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa set a national target that every 10-year-old should be able to read for meaning by 2030. With four years remaining until that deadline, the country is moving in the opposite direction.
Adult illiteracy concentrated in three provinces
The problem extends beyond primary schools. While South Africa’s overall adult literacy rate stood at 91.15% in 2024, almost four million adults remained illiterate in 2022, according to the Department of Higher Education and Training. The majority are concentrated in North West, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Economic toll reaches billions
The World Literacy Foundation has calculated the economic impact using UNESCO’s model for illiteracy costs. South Africa loses approximately $5.13 billion each year through reduced productivity, foregone earnings and lower workforce participation linked to illiteracy.
The crisis is not unique to South Africa. Globally, 739 million adults cannot read. The World Literacy Foundation operates across five continents to address the challenge.
Andrew Kay, CEO and founder of the World Literacy Foundation, said South Africa has the expertise to turn the situation around. “South Africa has the researchers, teachers and programmes that know how to close this gap. Those voices belong on the world stage,” he said.
- This research will be part of the conversation at the World Literacy Summit, taking place at Oxford University from 31 March to 3 April 2027, where researchers, policymakers, and educators from more than 85 countries will meet under the theme Literacy in a Connected World. Literacy specialists working on South African reading outcomes, mother-tongue instruction, foundation phase teaching or adult education are invited to submit a paper or presentation proposal.
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