Page 28 - Dainfern Precinct Living August Issue 2025

ESTATE MATTERS
BOOKS
THE VITAL ROLE OF

PAPER BOOKS

ISSUED BY MEDIA PORTAL ON BEHALF OF THE PAPER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA

than English or Afrikaans.
PAMSA AND BOOK DASH
To be part of the solution, PAMSA has
announced its support of the Book Dash
2025 campaign, an initiative that aims
to make books more accessible to young
readers. Book Dash has already distributed
over 4.5 million books to children across
South Africa, and creates books in multiple
local languages.

Dorette Louw, director of programmes and
operations at Book Dash, says that according
to National Reading Barometer 2023, the
vast majority of South African adults agree
that reading to children before they can talk
helps them learn, but unfortunately only
about a third of parents actually read with
children aged six and under.
Louw explains that just like other healthy
lifestyle habits such as eating well and
exercising, there’s a gap between awareness
and action. Even when parents know it’s
he Paper Manufacturers The survey also found that about 67% of important to share books with pre-verbal
Association of South Africa respondents own 50 books or less, while children, they need a nudge to actually do it.
(PAMSA) has released findings 17.4% reported owning more than 100 She adds that physical, hard copy books
from its 2024 survey on book books. This represents a slight positive shift at home can provide that nudge in a way
Townership, revealing that from 2022, when 80% of respondents said that that digital books cannot. This is why
31% of respondents own fewer than ten they owned 50 books or less, and only 8.6% Book Dash is working hard to increase book
books. However, access to books remains owned more than 100. ownership in homes, and why the support
a significant challenge for many South from organisations like PAMSA is crucial.
Africans. Executive director of PAMSA, Jane Molony, Paper-based books remain popular among
says that while there is some improvement readers, with the survey showing that
in book ownership, the numbers still paint 34.7% of respondents prefer physical books
a concerning picture. Access to printed for leisure reading, compared to 7.4% who
books, particularly for young children, opt for tablets or e-readers. Importantly, 57.6
is crucial for developing literacy % of respondents strongly disagree with the
skills and fostering a reading statement that ‘print is dead’.
culture.
Molony says that paper books play a vital
The survey results come role in early childhood development and
at a critical time, as literacy, and create a stronger educational
literacy rates in South foundation. Research consistently shows
Africa continue to that paper-based materials promote better
face challenges reading comprehension and information
of unequal early retention compared to digital formats. This is
learning outcomes particularly important for developing brains.
and extremely poor Both Book Dash and PAMSA goals promote
primary school literacy and sustainable paper usage. Paper
literacy, with nearly books are not only renewable and recyclable,
80% of Grade 4 but can easily be shared and passed along,
learners struggling extending their impact within communities.
to read for meaning.
Additionally, only 2% Through initiatives such as the Book
of children’s books Dash partnership, PAMSA aims to help
published commercially address the book access gap in South
in South Africa are in Africa and contribute to improving literacy
local African languages, rates, particularly among young readers
despite eight out of ten people who need exposure to books in their early
speaking a home language other developmental years.
26 DPL issue 7 2025