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Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Lessons from champions — turning young rural KZN pupils into literacy superstars
South Africa's child literacy figures are shocking. In the first of a three-part series on our reading crisis, Anna Cox and Cecilia Russell went in search of civil society organisations tackling the issue with the 'each one teach one' tenet. The little girl placed her hand on her hip and sashayed towards the teacher like a supermodel on a runway. The Grade R pupil from a farm school – Goxhill Primary School – in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal, is, with the help of a civil society initiative, bucking the trend of 80% of Grade 3s not being able to read for meaning in any language. The child was responding to a short, fun-filled lesson by a teaching assistant or, as she is known at the school, a literacy champion, Mpumelelo (Nompies) Mbokazi, in which she needed to identify sight words – in this case, a prominent discount retail store, PEP, which she associates with the excitement of new clothes. The project, run by the Family Literacy Project (FLP), is one of the nonprofit organisations we visited in search of civil society projects that are both academically successful and replicable. This sector includes high-functioning organisations that can access government tenders and draw funding from local and international corporates and philanthropic organisations, as well as struggling, well-meaning individuals dependent on the generosity of small contributions from donors. With only five years to go to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, specifically target 4.6, which aims to ensure that all young people and a substantial proportion of adult men and women achieve literacy and numeracy, there is much to be done. 'Urgency of the moment' Although the literacy statistics are alarming, there is some optimism that with the right programmes, this can be addressed. Speakers at a think-tank held by the Reading Panel in Johannesburg earlier this year emphasised the 'urgency of the moment'. The panel of eminent South Africans, which was convened by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, aims to ensure that all children can read for meaning by age 10 by 2030. There was a strong emphasis on teacher support and training, especially for mother-tongue education, since research has shown that a child who becomes proficient in their home language is more likely to manage learning a second language, such as English first additional language. Another theme was the need to see the education budget increased in real terms. These interventions are needed to address stark disparities in schools in which pupils taught in African languages such as Setswana, Tshivenda and Sepedi are at a significant disadvantage, as are children from rural areas – all provinces except for Gauteng and the Western Cape are performing below the mean. However, the panel also noted that small interventions can have big impacts, citing the Western Cape's Back on Track project, through which it took just nine intervention lessons for isiXhosa and Afrikaans schools to achieve a year's worth of progress. Back in Goxhill Primary, the same little girl joined her classmates in slowly and carefully making the letter O in a cardboard box filled with sand. They proudly chat among themselves and vie for Mbokazi's attention as they do so. The lesson is tactile and fun, made from easily available resources and oriented towards the children's lived experience – the sight words include shops in the nearest centre, the Spar and PEP – and it is taught in isiZulu, the children's home language, adapted from the Reach Out to Read method developed by Cheryl Taylor. The literacy champions at this farm school, which is in the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality, provide crucial support to the teachers. The champions are trained over two years in teaching isiZulu reading skills to Grade R and grades 1 to 3, although the project has a more ambitious role in supporting families in the community with skills too. However, the project is fragile following Covid; it was unable to retain many of the literacy champions it had trained during the pandemic because of a loss of funding. FLP director Pierre Horn says his role is to constantly seek funding, and he wryly comments that he hopes this project will still be active next year. The costs are modest, and champions and facilitators are paid a stipend. According to Horn, the cost per school, based on a per-grade training with small groups of 10 to 12 at a time, is about R8,000 to R12,000 per grade. Each class is provided with a small classroom library with books in isiZulu and a few in English. The project is now active in 15 communities, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal's Ubuhlebezwe, Impendle and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma rural municipalities. Apart from the literacy champions who work in schools, there is a group of all-women community facilitators, chosen by their peers, who provide counselling and support to other women in the community. Supporting the gogos Two community facilitators, Nomvula Phoswa and Faith Khumalo, confirmed that despite a lack of funding for the adult work, they were continuing their roles with the family groups in the community. Both dressed in T-shirts emblazoned with Pepfar, the Aids funding programme recently halted by one of US President Donald Trump's now (in)famous executive orders, they are firmly committed to changing their communities' circumstances – no matter the odds. Phoswa is quietly spoken but displays steely determination. She comes from Bulwer, where she started a 'child-to-child' reading club for children after school. The programme expanded to include young girls and adult groups, addressing issues such as behaviour, health and home life. 'I support the grandmothers who take care of the children,' she says of her adult group of 20, alluding to a South African phenomenon where socioeconomic pressures, unemployment, urban migration and poverty push families to consolidate resources by living together, along with 'deeply rooted cultural values [that] continue to uphold the importance of extended family networks'. Phoswa is passionate about her Grade R and Grade 1 children's literacy sessions, in which she uses the FLP kit with letter sounds and flash cards. She has reached hundreds of children and parents, and her methods have been adopted by teachers. Phoswa faces challenges such as lack of space for adult groups and limited resources for reaching more children. Creating the odds to favour the kids The success of continued education in the region is up against many odds. Grade R teacher Nonzamo Makhaye says she starts the day by preparing a meal for the children, because many haven't eaten. This is in addition to the regular school meal provided. The unemployment rate in the region is 62.52%, with youth unemployment even higher at more than 70%. The children won't come to school for a whole month if there are many public holidays, for instance in December and over Easter, because the parents can't pay a taxi driver the full monthly fee of R300. As we drive through an area known as the Underberg Low-Cost Housing Area, a young boy, clutching a football, and two others confirm that is the reason they are at home. 'The school year effectively ends at the end of November. This isn't good, as studies have shown that the number of school days attended has a positive impact on the children's education,' says Taylor. The literacy champions live in the community and, where they can, follow their pupils' progress. Nkosikhona Msiya, a young champion who is still studying towards a degree, says some of the children he has taught are now at university and others already have their degrees. He looks concerned. 'And I am still stuck [studying].' DM This feature was produced with the support of the Henry Nxumalo Foundation. From gardener to literacy champion: an unlikely path to success Nkosikhona Msiya gesticulates to the children assembled in the schoolyard on a cool autumn morning. The pupils follow with rapt attention, completely oblivious to their surroundings at Goxhill Primary in the foothills of the Drakensberg in Underberg. The children have brought their mobile desks with reading cards and sound cards out into the fresh air. Beyond the school fence, the Drakensberg can be seen through a blue haze in the distance. Tourists often come to the region to drive up the famous Sani Pass with its hairpin bends and spectacular views. Few will notice the tiny farm schools, like Goxhill, with its drab brick exterior. Should they visit, they will find a school filled with enthusiastic children in classrooms with floors scrubbed clean and walls transformed by artwork and posters. Msiya got into teaching by accident. After completing matric he went on to study, but it didn't work out, so his grandfather found a job for him as a gardener at an orphanage in Underberg. He started working there in 2014, but in the afternoons he would spend time with the children, helping them with their homework. His talent didn't go unnoticed. 'I think you are meant to work with children,' an administrator at the orphanage told him, and introduced him to Pierre Horn, the Family Literacy Project (FLP) director. Soon he was being trained to become a literacy champion, and even worked full-time as a teacher at one stage, even though he was not qualified. During the Covid-19 pandemic the literacy champions played a crucial role. The FLP set up WhatsApp groups and the literacy champions worked with children in the community when schools were closed, using the Reach Out to Read method. Now Msiya's days are busy; in the mornings he works as a teacher, in the afternoons he coaches soccer, and he is completing his bachelor of education degree through the University of South Africa. 'Being part of this project has helped me… as I've gained a lot of skills, like how to teach and how to deal with children who have… challenges,' says Msiya. He recognises now that he should have started years ago, when he was still at school and often took over the class when the teachers weren't there. 'I should have realised that I've got this thing,' he says of his talent for teaching. After all, his classmates always told him he was good at it. DM
The South African
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
What rapper Kanye West has legally changed his name to
American rapper and fashion designer, best known as Kanye West, has changed his name again. Kanye West, who has in recent years opted to just be known as Ye, has allegedly claimed the shortened version of his name is so nice that he wants people to say it twice. And so, Ye Ye is born. The New York Post got hold of documentation filed in California by Hussain Lalani, Ye Ye's chief financial officer. The documents cite the artist's name as Ye Ye after he had previously been listed as Ye West after the initial change in moniker. The eccentric public figure took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the news of this recent development in his rather tumultuous life. 'Ima finally going to stop using the @kanyewest Twitter cause my name is Ye. Gonna start a ye account and it is what it is,' he revealed. In his backpacking era, the days of soul beat Kanye, his given name was derived from the region in Botswana of the same name. The word, or his name, also had another meaning in Setswana. In changing his name to just Ye, he said, 'In the Bible, it means 'you.' So, I'm you. I'm us. It's us. It went from being Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye.' The name Ye is so nice, he now likes saying it twice. Ye Ye recently made his Donda 2 album more readily available after initially dropping it on his pioneering stem players, which very few people cared to purchase. He is also either gearing up or still contemplating the release of the not-so-highly anticipated album, Bully, which has been in the works now for quite some time with no concrete release date settled on. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Presley Chweneyagae: Mourners gathered at Mmabatho like they did in 2018 for HHP
Referring to Chweneyagae by his local nickname, Tobetsa, Makapan said the late actor was a people's person. The first memorial service of Presley Chweneyagae was hosted in his hometown of Mahikeng. Picture: Presley Oageng Chweneyagae/Facebook In his welcome note at the memorial service of actor Presley Chweneyagae, the mayor of Mahikeng, Tshepiso Mphehlo, reflected on the pinnacle of the province's art scene when Tsosti was released. 'That period was a pinnacle period for the arts and culture in Mahikeng,' shared Mphehlo. The memorial service is being held at the Mmabatho Convention Centre for the late 40-year-old actor, who passed away a week ago. This is the first of two memorial services expected this week. The other service will be held at Pretoria's State Theatre on Thursday for his friends and industry colleagues who are based in Gauteng. ALSO READ: 'Working with Presley and keeping a straight face is almost impossible' — industry mourns Chweneyagae 'Like we did for HHP' The mayor said that when the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi was released in 2005, Motswako — a rap style that blends Setswana rap lyrics with English — was at its height, with artists like HHP and Tuks in their prime. 'For us as youngsters, this provided hope. We had believed that challenges in our background could be overcome. We knew through their rise to stardom that we too will be called for greatness,' said the mayor, mentioning other artists from the province like Mo Molemi, among others. 'Today, like we did in 2018, in this very hall for HHP, we are gathered here to bid farewell once again to a torchbearer of hope. Through the decades, we've seen him illuminate our TV screens with talent.' Real name Jabulani Tsambo, HHP died of suicide in 2018. ALSO READ: Presley Chweneyagae's family reveals cause of death, memorial, and funeral details 'A people's person' Friend and former Generations actor Rantebeng Makapan was one of the speakers on the day. Referring to Chweneyagae by his local nickname, Tobetsa, Makapan said the late actor was a people's person. 'Tobetsa was able to gather people. Tobetsa was a people's person. There are many people who wanted to get this opportunity to speak about their experience with Tobetsa, but did not have the opportunity to come here. 'It's not that you were undermined [or] ignored…it's just that the programme was set the way it was. I wasn't even supposed to be standing here, the person who was meant to stand here was unable to attend,' said Makapan. The actor, whom many viewers will remember as Thomas on Generations, said he spent most of his time with Chweneyagae in Pretoria, where they first met after being introduced by a mutual friend. 'Even through the pain we're feeling right now, we all know he made us laugh. He was a people's person who was able to be, [to] chill with us. He didn't care to chill at a five-star place, even if we chilled under the tree, he never judged people.' Makapan said he went to Chweneyagae's house after the news broke of his passing, and that the deceased's wife said he should be celebrated instead of mourned. 'He did so many things for us to come here and cry for him.' NOW READ: Nozipho Ntshangase's husband of 17 years marries second wife
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Entrepreneur assists SA's young business owners in accessing international markets
The countries that Motau and her team help entrepreneurs to access markets include Argentina and Australia. Itumeleng Motau is an entrepreneur, business mentor and a founder of G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance. She is also the president of the G20 Young Entrepreneur South Africa. Picture: Supplied Entrepreneur Itumeleng Motau is on a mission to assist South Africa's young business owners in accessing international markets. Motau, fondly known as Itu, is the founder of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance and the president of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs South Africa (Yesa), a foundation specialising in assisting young entrepreneurs to meet and share ideas with other business people based in the G20 countries. The countries that Motau and her team help entrepreneurs to access markets include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the UK, and the US. ALSO READ: Tips for entrepreneurs looking for government tenders: R1 trillion infrastructure investment loading A few months ago, Motau led a group of young entrepreneurs to a business summit in Goiania, Brazil, where they connected with like-minded entrepreneurs from around the world. During the event, they met hundreds of young entrepreneurs to share ideas and catalyse economic renewal, job creation, innovation and social change. 'Our objective is to promote entrepreneurship ecosystem conversations and celebrate impact projects carried out by young industrialists across G20 states,' she says. 'Our conference, set for 18-20 September at the Sandton Convention Centre, will host over 600 young entrepreneurs from G20 states and other countries.' 'Game-changer' Apart from being a prominent figure in Yesa, Motau is also a passionate businesswoman who serves as a partner at Potlako Global Logistics, a subsidiary of MSC, the world's largest container shipping line. As an enterprise development beneficiary, she operates on all customs and clearing services required internally, as well as freight forwarding services for some of MSC's clients. 'Holding a master's degree in maritime economics, I have found this opportunity to be a game-changer for my career. I'm also a director on the MSC South Africa board on the cargo side and help commercially with the MSC cruise business,' she says. ALSO READ: SMEs' growth absent in Budget 3.0. Here's what entrepreneurs expected Her second business venture is ITU golf wear, a golf apparel brand that embodies the spirit of 'Be Happy' – a direct translation of her Setswana name, Itumeleng. ITU Golf Wear is 100% black woman-owned. She says the ITU golf wear offers high-quality, stylish golf clothing and accessories for men, women and kids. 'Our mission is to innovate and lead in providing the best value products and services globally, while making a positive impact on our customers, business partners, employees, and communities.' ITU Foundation Under the ITU brand, Motau has established the ITU Foundation, which utilises clothing to advance golf development, diversity, and inclusivity. She said the foundation has already supported 150 young golfers by providing them with clinics, allowing them game time, and supplying them with relevant apparel to help them excel in the sport. Last month, she had the opportunity to run a pop-up shop in New York. ALSO READ: Is your child interested in starting a business? Here is an entrepreneurship challenge for kids 'The Flying Solo brand works closely with New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week and gets our brands to be featured in high-end magazines like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour and Cosmopolitan,' she says. She urges young people who wish to emulate her to stay focused, work hard, and never give up on their dreams. 'Surround yourself with positive people and always be willing to learn and take calculated risks,' she says. Motau says she is proud to be a part of various initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, golf development, and community upliftment. Entrepreneur's early life The business mogul was born in Mamelodi, Pretoria, and grew up in an entrepreneurial and spiritually grounded family. Her grandfather ran a successful retail business, and her mother became a renowned entrepreneur and a game-changer in the hospitality industry. Her family raised her with a strong emphasis on education, family values, and social consciousness. She attended primary school in Mamelodi and secondary school in Limpopo. After matric, she obtained a BSc in biochemistry and microbiology from the University of Limpopo; a chemical engineering national diploma from the University of Johannesburg; a postgraduate certificate in water engineering from University of Hanover, Germany; management advancement programme from Wits Business School; and a BCom masters in maritime economics from University of KwaZulu-Natal. ALSO READ: How mental health affects entrepreneurs Not yet married, she has a life partner she adores. 'While I don't have kids of my own, I'm a great mother and aunt to many. I'm very family-oriented and love cooking,' she says. She also mentors young and old professionals and businesspeople. 'I'm passionate about taking care of future leaders,' she says. – masoka@
The Star
16-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Hope and high-fives in Alexandra as elite school changes lives
AFP | Published 3 hours ago Students engage with each other during an activity at the Kgololo Academy in Alexandra, near Johannesburg, on May 8, 2025. The Kgololo Academy is an elite school in the destitute township of Alexandra. Here, classes are small, teachers enthusiastic, and every child is known by name, a learning environment miles away from the under resourced local state school marred with discipline issues and overcrowding. Waahida Tolbert-Mbatha co-founded the school ten years ago with her husband Thulani Mbatha, a native of the poverty-stricken township which borders the rich neighbourhood of Sandton, known as Africa's richest square mile. Image: EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP Banele Phaladi wolfed down a thin slice of bread and kissed his mother goodbye before walking through the dilapidated streets of Alexandra to his colourful classroom at the Kgololo Academy. At this elite primary school in one of the most destitute areas of Johannesburg, classes are small, teachers enthusiastic, and every child is known by name -- a learning environment miles away from the under-resourced local state school marred with overcrowding and discipline issues. Jumping between potholes and puddles, twelve-year-old Phaladi passed the gates at dawn, welcomed with a cheerful greeting of hugs and high-fives from the school's staff and his fellow classmates. The daily greeting "allows us to make sure everyone is seen, who's in a good or bad mood, but also who has been injured, sick or has a bruise," said Waahida Tolbert-Mbatha, the 45-year-old American founder of the Kgololo Academy -- meaning "to set free" in the local Setswana language. With only 173 students -- an average of 25 per class -- the independent school says it aims to provide children with "a world-class education, within their community". "In the public school next door where classes have more than 50 pupils, the teachers have to focus on the few more advanced kids," said math teacher Portia Mamba, 32. "Here we are able to focus on the ones who are struggling. Any child can learn when given the right platform," she said. Tolbert-Mbatha co-founded the school ten years ago with her husband Thulani Mbatha, a native of the poverty-stricken township that borders the affluent neighbourhood of Sandton, known as Africa's richest square mile. When Mbatha was a child, a visiting American teacher spotted him writing his homework in an abandoned bus. The teacher tutored him and his friends and eventually funded their university education. "This completely changed the trajectory for him -- but it is problematic that all the people who made it were 'discovered' because they happened to be at the right place at the right time," Tolbert-Mbatha, who has a teaching background, told AFP. "We wanted to create an environment where everyone gets discovered," she said. - Quality education at home - To achieve academic success, Alexandra's best pupils usually rely on scholarships to private schools in more affluent areas. South Africa's ongoing legacy of racial segregation, even 30 years after the end of apartheid, means the children often stand out in rich, white-majority schools. Kgololo Academy aims to give them -- at least at primary school level -- access to "high-quality education that doesn't focus on academics only" without having to leave their community, said the school's principal, Nelly Mhlongo. "It brings a new, fresh air in our community to have a private school in a township," said Phaladi's mother, Eva, who raises her son as a single mother in a house shared with his uncle, aunt and cousins. The fees of about R30 000 per year, a fortune in one of the country's poorest neighbourhoods, are covered more than halfway by NGOs and private donors. Parents and grandparents scrape pennies together to afford the rest. To support the children, who face a myriad of challenges in a community plagued with unemployment and crime, the school has hired two psychologists and a social worker. "It has been a game-changer" and many pupils now see the counsellors even for everyday issues, said Tolbert-Mbatha, whose own children are also enrolled at the school. Unlike other prestigious private schools, the key to admission at Kgololo Academy is not the child's academic prowess but rather the parents' involvement. "We can take any student, we cannot take any parent," the founder said. "They must create habits to help their kids be successful." Before heading to their first-period isiZulu language lesson, Phaladi and his classmates warmed up with a lively game of musical chairs in the courtyard. The teachers here know how to make learning "interesting and fun", the good-natured pre-teen said. Next year, Phaladi's commute to school will be very different: like 90 percent of Kgololo's learners, he has just been awarded a fully-funded ride to a prestigious high school.
