Only 30% of South African learners in Grades 1 to 3 are reading at grade level in their home language. By the end of Grade 3, 15% cannot read a single word, with the figure rising to 25% in some languages. Learners in wealthier schools are almost three times more likely to reach reading benchmarks than those in the poorest schools.
These are just some of the key findings from the 2026 Background Report of the 2030 Reading Panel, which draws on data from the Department of Basic Education’s Funda Uphumelele National Survey (FUNS), the first nationally representative dataset measuring early reading outcomes across all official languages.
The data offers the clearest picture yet of where South African children stand in the early years of learning, and where urgent action is needed.
These are not small gaps; they point to systemic failures that shape everything that follows: grade repetition, school dropout and youth unemployment. This year’s report is not only a diagnosis, but it also highlights areas of improvement.
For instance, in 2022, not a single province implemented large-scale, evidence-based reading interventions in the Foundation phase. However, in 2026, six provinces are now doing so.
The Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga have launched structured, multi-year literacy programmes at scale. These interventions share common design features: structured lesson plans, aligned classroom materials, sustained teacher training, and ongoing assessment. Importantly, they are embedded in provincial strategies rather than operating as projects run by individual NGOs.
This matters. South Africa does not lack innovation. What we have lacked is system-wide implementation.
Kentse Radebe, DGMT Deputy CEO and member of the 2030 Reading Panel, says: “We need to move beyond smaller-scale efforts to systemic, well-planned reforms. We know that poor reading outcomes lead to higher rates of school dropout, higher incidences of grade repetition and over the long term erode the investments we make in the human capital of South Africa by impacting employability. We have good examples of what works, and now we need to implement that scale, working with government, civil society and donors.”
The growing provincial momentum suggests a shift towards more coordinated, system-wide approaches to improving reading outcomes that require collaboration across curriculum, teacher support, materials and assessment.
Quality of learning
With Grade R now compulsory, participation will expand. But research shows that learning gains differ significantly across different school contexts. Learners in better-resourced schools make more than double the developmental gains compared to children in no-fee schools. Without addressing school quality, expanding access alone risks reproducing inequalities earlier in the system.
New analysis also shows that some learners benefit from repeating Grade 1, especially those below the promotion threshold. However, repetition is expensive, and often poorly implemented, with little structured support for those learners repeating a grade.
These findings reinforce a central message: early intervention works, but only when quality of programmes, support and implementation are deliberate.
Political will and policy action
There appears to be political will to prioritise early reading, yet in planning documents it is increasingly folded into broader “educational skills” objectives. This tells us that while reading is on the policy and planning agenda, the issue risks being diluted, competing with multiple education reforms without a clear, costed national plan to address poor reading outcomes.
However, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube disputes this, saying reading has not been deprioritised; instead her department is investing in early childhood development so that learners enter school with fewer learning gaps.
Not where we want to be — but better than before
South Africa’s goal remains that all children should read for meaning by age 10. At present, we are far from that target.
But we now have better data, and we know what interventions work. We have several provinces implementing structured reforms at scale. And we have emerging collaboration between government, civil society and philanthropic organisations aligned with system priorities.
Radebe notes: “If we want a thriving economy and a just society, literacy is not optional. It is foundational. The real test now is whether we can translate commitment into disciplined implementation, year after year”.
