Objectives
The projects goals are to:
Understand reading cultures
Describe the diverse reading practices of South African adults.
Understand reading motivation and attitudes
Understand why people do or don’t read and how they feel about reading.
Understand access
Map access to reading materials, by type and language, and unpack barriers to access.
Understand the ecosystem
Map reading ability, policies, budgets and system capacities that enable or constrain the growth of reading.
Track change over time
Track changes since the 2016 National Reading Survey, and when the Survey and Barometer are repeated in 2026 and 2030.
Inform research, policy and practice
Inform and inspire research on reading in South Africa; policy shifts that create a more enabling context for reading; and interventions to promote and strengthen reading.
