National Survey

An Update on the Reading and Book-reading Behaviour of Adult South Africans.

A first National Reading Survey, carried out in 2006, commissioned and managed by the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) has now been followed up by another survey in 2016, which provides not only up-to-date information on South Africans’ reading habits, but also a means of assessing whether changes have occurred in various areas of enquiry over the past decade. The full report can be found at www.sabookcouncil.co.za and we provide a few points of interest from the official summary released by the SABDC earlier this year.

FINDINGS ON BOOK READING
Just fewer than half of adult South Africans read print media/books, dropping from 58% in 2006 to 47% in 2016. Newspapers make up the largest proportion of the reading material repertoire, and only one third – 34% – claim to be reading books in a printed form. Book readers are disproportionally (a) younger, (b) from higher LSM groups, (c) well educated and (d) white and female.

The Reading Index generated by this study shows that South Africans are very “light” readers overall. Half of South African adults read for leisure at least once a week, with a further one in five claiming to read less often, making for an “ever read” incidence of 70%. Leisure readers spend an average of four hours a week reading.

Positively, 14% of leisure readers say they would consider reading books in the future, taking the total reading potential from the current 34% (for actually read) to 48% (for potentially read). The reading of books constitutes 21.3% of total reading time.

The lack of easy access to, and the non-affordability of, books are the two biggest barriers to people reading books as opposed to reading newspapers.

Books’ market strengths lie in their ability to be recommended by other readers; and in their availability in a chosen language. Survey respondents felt that reading material must be (a) enjoyable, (b) in touch with the times, (c) easy to understand and (d) easy to read.

Book readers claimed to have read an average of 3.1 books in the past six months, and of 0.4 digital books on average. Most people who bought books did so on a monthly basis, spending an average of R171 on their purchase.

Almost six in ten people are living in households without a single book. Poorer households with lower levels of education are less likely to have books in their home.

The library tops the list of places where adult South Africans prefer to obtain their books. One in four adult South Africans visits the library.

Thirty-five per cent of adults with children in their home read to their children.

Where to from here?

Messages that equate reading and books with strong literacy skills and improved life opportunities need to be explicit and at the core of every communication, campaign or intervention. The activities that people engage in in their leisure time should be the very avenues through which reading needs to be celebrated and encouraged. For example, newspaper readers need to be persuaded to add books to their reading repertoire.
Opportunities to increase the number of books in households, especially in more disadvantaged areas and poorer provinces, need to be actively sought.

At the same time, access to books does not necessarily translate into actual reading. Attitudinal shifts in how reading and books are perceived are crucial for tangible changes in reading behaviour to occur. Importantly, education on the causal link between reading from a young age and literacy development for educational attainment needs to be appropriately channelled if they are to actively boost adults’ interest and motivation in reading to children.
Reading needs to be promoted as a fun and enjoyable activity. Reading for pleasure has positive implications for academic performance. Adults have to lead by example and model this behaviour to children. As well as read to their children, they have to read themselves.
Community media – newspapers and radio – should be the portals through which to communicate messages.

The promotion of a book-reading culture requires us to think beyond the world of printed books, to that of digital platforms. Given the widespread ownership and use of mobile technologies in South Africa, digital media are currently underutilised in their capacity as reading channels. New formats and content capable of being appropriated by such widespread technology need to be introduced. Mobile phones can become libraries accessible to anyone, anywhere and at any time, through the simple click of a few buttons.
For a variety of reasons, libraries still hold a substantial appeal for many people. More library access points must continue to be created.

Conclusion
A reading culture is one in which reading (a) takes centre stage in people’s lives; (b) is an habitual activity; and (c) is appreciated and understood as a key need among the general population. For this culture to pervade, we need to cultivate a love for reading from a very young age. The approaches outlined above drive the attitudinal and behavioural shifts that build the foundation for a reading culture to grow, with positive developmental outcomes for all.