Literacy remains as relevant today as it has ever been.
For most of us, withdrawing money from an ATM, for example, requires little thought. We simply reach for a bank card and tap a few buttons on a screen - often without considering the knowledge and skills required for these seemingly mundane life tasks.
For an elderly woman I encountered recently, it was an obstacle standing between her and her medication, writes Neo Semono.
The woman did not know that she could swipe her bank card at the pharmacy and collect her medication. But, before we blame her daughter for not accompanying her to the ATM, the elderly lady’s daughter resides in another province, and no one else was available to accompany her to the ATM at the time.
Many, myself included, take the ability to read, write and comprehend for granted - given its second-nature status in our lives. However, for some across the world, that skill remains a forlorn dream.
The world recently commemorated International Literacy Day on 8 September 2026. An annual initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the day seeks to highlight the importance of literacy in everyday life.
According to UNESCO, the initiative seeks to remind policymakers and the public of the critical importance of literacy in creating a more literate, just, peaceful and sustainable society.
In its 60 years of existence, Literacy Day is as important as it ever was in an age where one can command artificial intelligence to perform tasks in a matter of seconds. The hassle of visiting a bank physically to get one’s affairs in order is almost redundant, given the convenience offered by banking apps today.
In an increasingly digital world, basic literacy must increasingly be accompanied by digital literacy. By this, I mean being able to navigate and understand the technology through which essential services are accessed.
This includes, for example, the ability to use the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) website to renew one’s driving licence card, book a learner’s licence test or renew a vehicle licence disc.
Not being able to read or write forces one to depend on others for help. While no man is an island, a level of independence is necessary for personal progress. A sense of confidence and privacy is needed when withdrawing money from an ATM; filling out a job application or accessing other government services, for instance.
While the elderly woman’s story is sad, South Africa has made meaningful progress in expanding access to education. However, challenges remain.
The Bill of Rights in South Africa’s Constitution states clearly that everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education, and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.
And no, that is not to say that this right is sitting pretty in the Bill of Rights just for the sake of it. Statistics South Africa’s 2025 General Household Survey (GHS), released in May this year, has shown that the proportion of adults with no education declined significantly from 11.4% in 2002 to 2.6% in 2025. The survey noted that the simple definition of literacy is the ability to read and write in at least one language, adding that individuals over 60 years have consistently remained most likely to be functionally illiterate, followed by individuals in the 40–59 and 20–39 age groups.
The data further noted that improved access to schooling has led to a significant decline in the percentage of functionally illiterate individuals in the 20–39 age group. While the data is encouraging, the picture among children is concerning. International benchmark tests and national assessments, according to government, show that eight out of 10 Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.
While the country has made progress in access to education, this access does not automatically translate into literacy.
The foundations of literacy are laid from a young age - something President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised at the 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, held in January.
At the session, the President said South Africa’s education system can only succeed if learners acquire strong literacy and numeracy skills in the early years of schooling.
He emphasised that strengthening early grade reading and numeracy is both a national priority and a moral imperative. He added that when children do not learn to read for meaning or to work confidently with numbers by the end of the Foundation Phase, the cost is borne by the entire education system.
One of the ways in which government is strengthening the education system is through the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, which makes Grade R compulsory, among other provisions.
As part of the implementation of the Act, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in August 2026, published additional draft regulations and related draft notice for public comment.
Among the draft regulations was a provision for teacher development to improve educators’ skills and teaching methods. The public comment period closed on 5 September 2026.
The BELA Act came into effect on 24 December 2024.
The expansion of Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) is another government priority, with Gwarube having announced during the Department of Basic Education’s Budget Vote in May that ECD registration had grown by 200% between 2021 and 2026, with more than 1.2 million children now accessing registered ECD programmes.
Ultimately, literacy is about more than words on a page. It is about being able to understand a prescription; navigate a banking app; complete a government form or access a service without having to depend on someone else.
Young or old, the real measure of our success must be whether people have the skills to participate independently in an increasingly digital society.
Our future depends on it.
Neo Semono is the Features Editor at SAnews.gov.za
-SAnews.gov.za
