The Nal'ibali Trust

Nal’ibali (isiXhosa for “here’s the story”) is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign. It seeks to spark and embed a culture of reading across South Africa, so that reading, writing, and sharing stories – in all South African languages – is part of everyday life. Children who are surrounded by print and immersed in great and well-told stories – in languages they understand – are more curious, confident, and motivated to learn. They develop vocabulary, strengthen memory, and nurture imagination. They’re more likely to become readers themselves, and to do well in school across all subjects. Since 2012, Nal’ibali has worked with state, civil society and business partners to make sure every South African child has opportunities to fall in love with books and stories. This includes founding partners DGMT, PRAESA (the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa) and Tiso Blackstar (formerly Times Media). Through advocacy, training, and high-quality reading material, Nal’ibali is helping to nurture a reading nation.