About us

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 in children from birth to 12 years of age, across South Africa, through cultivating, enticing reading content in all South African languages. Nal'ibali promotes the use of home languages in nurturing and strengthening reading culture in children as home language is transparent, easy to learn and is the first language that children connect with, in order to socialise and make sense of the world around them. Nal'ibali stories build a healthy ongoing appetite in children to engage more with reading, and to develop other important literacy skills while creating their own reading experiences. Children who develop strong relationships with books and reading materials early, are more likely to adopt and sustain a culture of reading. Adults who are in children's spaces have the responsibility to nurture a love of reading in children as early as possible, to advance children's development.  

Vision

For all children to have positive experiences with stories and reading books.

Mission 

To spark a love of stories, build language and literacy skills, and promote lifelong reading culture in homes, schools and communities across South Africa. 

Core organisational values, actions and behaviours