Page 16 - IFV June Issue 2025

Lifestyle

The ViTaL rOLe OF PaPer BOOks

The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) has released
findings from its 2024 survey on book ownership, revealing that 31% of

respondents own fewer than ten books. However, access to books remains a
significant challenge for many South Africans.

he survey also found that about literacy skills and fostering a reading PAMSA and Book Dash
67% of respondents own 50 culture. To be part of the solution, PAMSA has
Tbooks or less, while 17.4% The survey results come at a critical announced its support of the Book
reported owning more than 100 books. time, as literacy rates in South Africa Dash 2025 campaign, an initiative that
This represents a slight positive shift continue to face challenges of unequal aims to make books more accessible to
from 2022, when 80% of respondents early learning outcomes and extremely young readers. Book Dash has already
said they owned 50 books or less, and poor primary school literacy, with nearly distributed over 4.5 million books to
only 8.6% owned more than 100. 80% of Grade 4 learners struggling children across South Africa, and creates
Executive director of PAMSA, Jane to read for meaning. Additionally, books in multiple local languages.
Molony, says that while there is some only 2% of children’s books published Dorette Louw, director of programmes
improvement in book ownership, the commercially in South Africa are in local and operations at Book Dash, says
numbers still paint a concerning picture. African languages, despite eight out of that according to National Reading
Access to printed books, particularly for ten people speaking a home language Barometer 2023, the vast majority of
young children, is crucial for developing other than English or Afrikaans. South African adults agree that reading

14 • June 2025 • The Villager