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Nal’ibali (isiXhosa for “here’s the story”) is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading.
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.
For all children to have positive experiences with stories and reading books.
To spark a love of stories, build language and literacy skills, and promote lifelong reading culture in homes, schools and communities across South Africa.
Third place at the African Union's Innovation in Education Prize for the work Nal'ibali has done on its Multilingual Supplements.
Cultural Affairs Award for the Best Contribution to Language Development from the Western Cape Government.
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the largest award for children’s literature in the world, received by PRAESA (Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa), co-founders of the Nal’ibali campaign.
The IBBY-ASAHI Reading Promotion Award.
Storybook reading and storytelling benefit children both cognitively and emotionally. Cognitively, story book reading, and storytelling make a critical contribution to developing literacy through building vocabulary and reading for meaning (Hart & Risley, 2003). A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication — listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Children in low-income families, with uneducated parents, in a home with more than 25 books, are more likely to gain two more years of schooling than children in homes with no books. (Evans, Kelly, Sikora & Treiman, 2010). Such homes are equipped with books, and adults willing to demonstrate the value of written text, reading to children regularly, listening to, telling and making up stories. A literary cultured home doesn’t need adults to be literate.
Emotionally, storybook reading and storytelling in a safe, familial environment promotes family cohesion and intimacy, boosting children’s self-esteem and contributing to them becoming confident students (Hoyne & Egan, 2019). Deep discussion of the texts and expressing emotional reactions to the turns of the story, develops children’s empathy and ability to self-regulate (Aram & Shapira, 2012). Story books expose children to social situations, introducing moral dilemmas, relationships, conflicts and problem solving through characters (Fine, Aram & Ziv, 2011). Social-emotional skills at an early age predict positive adult outcomes include good mental health, low chance of substance abuse and higher chance of employment. (Mahasneh, Raomanowki & Dajani, 2017).
Meet the team behind the Nal’ibali magic! Based across the country, each one of these individuals works to bring the power of stories to as many South Africans as possible.
The Nal’ibali Trust board members ensure that the work and goals of Nal’ibali are always in line with the long term vision to spark and sustain a culture of reading and storytelling in South Africa.
The Nal’ibali FAQs page answers common questions about literacy, reading habits, and how the campaign supports children’s learning in South Africa. It offers guidance on getting involved, accessing resources, and understanding the importance of reading in multiple languages.
What could possibly happen when a starving cow is left alone with three fluffy little chicks? And what would happen when the cow comes home and finds a big pile of hay? What if she ate and ate and ate …
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Nadeema comes from a family of educators and her passion and specific interests are children, literacy development and the intersections between pedagogies, language and literacy, and context in order to build a more just society. Nadeema had the privilege of working at PRAESA (Project for the Study of Alternative Education in SA) at University of Cape Town from 2004-2012. She worked in the Early Literacy Unit. This work revolved around the implementation of the language in education policy at various levels; through research in schools, building a culture of reading in communities, and working with in-service teachers.
In 2012, she was part of the team that conceptualised and began Nal’ibali, a national campaign on reading for enjoyment. Nadeema worked in pre-service teacher education, curriculum development and building literate school communities at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha. Her interests focus broadly on ways of integrating communities into schools and more specifically on community-led pedagogies within school spaces. Currently, she is Literacy Director at Room to Read South Africa. She is National Chairperson of the Literacy Association of South Africa and is involved in the support and upliftment of literacy at all levels of society.
Masego ‘Maps’ Maponyane is a South African born TV presenter, actor, producer, philanthropist, and businessman. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies, French and English, and International Human Rights (Majors) at the University of the Witwatersrand.
As an entrepreneur Maps has a passion for start-up SME’s, and love for education has led to him starting Bursary Network, and being a director of Silicon Maboneng and Tuta-Me. His passion for giving back and desire to change the lives of people around him for the better, inspired him to volunteer at the Ethembeni Children’s Home over the last 11 years, where he sits on their board. He also serves as a board member at WWF SA and a UNICEF advocate.
Based in Grahamstown, Cathy Gush heads up a comprehensive literacy outreach programme, the Lebone Literacy Programme, which amongst other things includes Nal’bali Reading Clubs. Prior to that, for four years between 2006 and 2010, Cathy was the director of Rhodes University’s self-funded institute, the Centre for Social Development (CSD). The CSD facilitates the development of early childhood communities and imparts skills to practitioners to strengthen community owned initiatives.
Cathy has over 30 years of experience in the NGO and education field. She studied at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained an Honours degree in Sociology. She also has a Diploma in Adult Education and is currently working on her Masters in Journalism and Media Studies, focusing on the communication of home literacy practices. Her literacy promotion efforts include being chairperson of the Eastern Cape branch of the Reading Assoc of South Africa (RASA) and the Makana Friends of the Library civil society organization. Cathy believes that books and stories have the power to change lives, and is passionate about getting children to read for pleasure.
Bio – Suri is an award-nominated Media Strategist and an experienced Communication and Marketing professional. She has developed, implemented and managed national and international communication and marketing programs, projects and initiatives for various audiences.
Her vast experience includes Corporate Communication, Health Communication, Media Management, Crisis Communication, Public Relations, Stakeholder Relations, Sponsorship Management, Digital Transformation, Brand Positioning and Advocacy.
“Communication-without-Borders” is how Suri describes her experience in managing diverse international communication projects in countries such as Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Finland, Spain, Germany, Monaco and here in South Africa. Her industry experience includes ICT, IT, Sports, Media, Medical Research and the Development Sector. She has qualifications in Communication Science, Telecoms MBA, Business Management and Digital Transformation.
Suri is a member of Women in Tech Africa and ONE.
Bio – Etienne Bramley is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the development sector and more than three decades in management. His career is marked by a strong focus on education, particularly in large-scale literacy programmes, as well as delivering results aligned with funder commitments and excelling in project management. His exceptional communication and presentation abilities have positioned him as a representative for his organisations at both local and international platforms.
A notable highlight of his career includes delivering a vote of support alongside a Provincial Premier and two Ministers during the 2015 national launch of the “16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women and Children. Etienne has extensive experience collaborating with key stakeholders, including government departments of health, social development, and education across national, provincial, and local levels. He also works closely with other NGOs and community stakeholders to drive meaningful change. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and an Executive Certificate in Management at Masters level, Etienne combines academic expertise with practical leadership skills.
Etienne leads the development and implementation of programme management processes, ensuring the successful execution of initiatives that support organisational growth through fundraising and new programme development. He will also provide strategic leadership to the team, ensuring impactful delivery of projects, strong stakeholder relationships, and alignment with Nal’ibali’s mission and values.
Bio – Bahihah currently serves as the Head of Finance and Operations, overseeing the Finance, Human Resources, and Support Services departments. With three decades of extensive experience in financial accounting, Bahihah boasts a diverse background spanning the higher education, manufacturing, and media sectors. Recognized as a seasoned professional, Bahihah is esteemed for her proficiency in financial analysis, control, reporting, and project management.
During her tenure in the higher education sector, which spanned 15 years (12 at WITS University and 3 at the University of the Western Cape), Bahihah primarily worked in grant-funded research units, where she effectively managed financial and grants administration. Before this, she gained valuable experience in the manufacturing sector, particularly in the automotive industry, refining her skills in project management and financial control.
Bahihah holds an MBA qualification and certifications in project management, management, and supervisory training, underscoring her solid foundation in both academia and practical application. With a proven track record in managing donor funding and multi-grant projects, she brings a comprehensive understanding of financial operations and strategic planning to her current role.
Bio – Lorato is an early literacy expert who has been working in the field for over twenty years. She has authored several children’s books and nonfiction biographies for young adults. Lorato is particularly skilled at creating reading materials for young children that promote reading for enjoyment, especially in African languages.
Lorato’s influence in promoting African languages and early literacy extends far beyond our borders. She has worked across all nine South African provinces, the African continent, and even North America. As a respected thought leader, she has presented papers on early literacy and multilingualism at prestigious venues such as the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., And was instrumental in launching the “Reading Africa” programme at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.
Lorato serves on several boards supporting literacy and education initiatives, including the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Ministerial Book Policy Development Task Team. Her contributions have been acknowledged by Academia.edu, who named and profiled her as one of the 28 Leading Women in African Publishing & the Book Trade in their journal of The African Book Publishing Record Volume 48, Issue 2, in 2022.
