Adult literacy rates up in South Africa

But this starkly contrasts with the problems faced by the younger population, particularly in the early primary grades

- Umamah Bakharia

South Africa's adult literacy rate has reached 95%, ranking it as the second most literate country on the African continent.

The data from research centre Intelpoint suggests that the majority of the population aged 15 years and older possesses basic reading and writing skills. The findings from studies on adult literacy from 2018 to 2021 showed that Seychelles had the highest literacy rate in Africa at 95.9%, while Chad had the lowest at 26.8%.

“These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations,” the report said.

But a study in 2021 by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Evaluation and Assessment showed that 81% of South African grade four learners could not read for meaning, a deterioration from 78% in 2016.

“While the reported figure is statistically significant, it does not fully reflect the complex realities on the ground [as] millions of South Africans, particularly in rural areas and older demographics, remain functionally illiterate,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) education spokesperson Delmain Christians.

The former main opposition party is the second largest party in a government of national unity formed in May last year and its official, Siviwe Gwarube, is the minister of basic education.