By Charmaine Ndlela
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has launched South Africa’s Read Aloud Month by unveiling the official World Read Aloud Day story for 2026, “A New Friend”, produced for the first time in South African Sign Language alongside versions in all 12 official languages.
Gwarube launched the campaign at Megoring Primary School in Polokwane, where learners, educators, sector partners and community members gathered to celebrate reading and storytelling.
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“World Read Aloud Day invites us to gather and to share in the wonder and splendour of stories and of books. This day reminds us that stories are not meant to be hidden away on shelves or confined to textbooks. Stories are meant to be heard, spoken, signed, shared and lived. They are passed from parent to child, from teacher to learner, and from one generation to the next,” said Gwarube.
World Read Aloud Day (WRAD), established in 2010 by LitWorld, is observed annually on the first Wednesday of February. The Department of Basic Education said the 2026 commemoration centres on “A New Friend”, developed in collaboration with Sign Language Education and Development (SLED).
Gwarube said the commemoration represented “a landmark moment in South Africa’s literacy and inclusion agenda”.
“[A New Friend] was produced and disseminated in all 12 South African languages, reinforcing mother-tongue-based learning while advancing universal accessibility and inclusion for all children,” the department said in a statement.
It said that, for the first time, South African Sign Language was fully integrated across all World Read Aloud Day and Read Aloud Month activities, ensuring that deaf learners were able to participate meaningfully and on an equal footing with their peers.
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It said this milestone aligned with the DBE’s commitment to inclusive education and equitable learning for all.
The launch was made possible by a partnership with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) and the Nal’ibali Trust, which served as a core partner.
Nal’ibali — isiXhosa for “here’s the story” — was founded in 2012 to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading among children from birth to 12 years of age.
Since its establishment, the organisation has led literacy change by mobilising adults to read with their children through its annual World Read Aloud Day celebrations.
“Through collaboration with education partners and civil society, World Read Aloud Day and Read Aloud Month continue to strengthen and expand South Africa’s national culture of reading and storytelling,” the department said.
Gwarube called on government, educators, parents, and communities to continue demonstrating the power of collaboration in advancing literacy and inclusion across the country.
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