The battle for basic literacy in South Africa

Guest: Roscoe Williams | Programme Director at Read To Rise

At Vusizi Primary School in Limpopo, teachers are battling overcrowded classrooms, a critical lack of books, and minimal parental support — all while trying to teach children how to read. With learners expected to switch from Xitsonga to English by Grade 4, the odds are stacked against them. Yet, these educators go above and beyond, creating their own teaching materials, staying after school, and forming reading support groups — all in the hope of breaking the cycle of poverty through literacy. Today, we're joined by an expert working on the frontlines of youth literacy to help us better understand the challenges and solutions in South Africa's ongoing battle against illiteracy.

Early Breakfast with Africa Melane is 702’s and CapeTalk’s early morning talk show. Experienced broadcaster Africa Melane brings you the early morning news, sports, business, and interviews politicians and analysts to help make sense of the world. He also enjoys chatting to guests in the lifestyle sphere and the Arts. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen. Thank you for listening to this podcast from Early Breakfast with Africa Melane For more about the show click https://buff.ly/XHry7eQ and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/XJ10LBU

Listen live on weekdays between 04:00 and 06:00 (SA Time) to the Early Breakfast with Africa Melane broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3N Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.