The National Reading Barometer (NRB): A Systems Approach to Leveraging Change in the Reading Ecosystem

The South African National Reading Barometer (NRB) compiles and interprets institutional data to provide the first holistic assessment of the South African reading ecosystem. Developed in 2022–2023 by Nal’ibali in partnership with the National Library of South Africa and key literacy stakeholders, the Barometer establishes a national baseline for understanding the conditions that enable or constrain reading across four dimensions: reading ability, access to reading materials, institutional frameworks, and reading motivation and practices. Guided by a systems-change perspective, the NRB recognises that reading cultures are shaped not only by individual choices but by the social and institutional environment in which those choices occur. This paper describes the conceptual foundations of the NRB, including methodology, system boundaries, indicator development, theory of change, and multi-sectoral co-design. It also outlines the evaluative framework, which draws on uncontested institutional data and presents it using simplified visualisations to support stakeholder engagement. The discussion illustrates how the NRB can support system-level change by raising awareness, strengthening the will of influencers and decision-makers, and enabling action across policy, community, and institutional arenas. By establishing a shared evidence base and enabling longitudinal tracking, the Barometer offers a practical tool for strengthening South Africa’s reading ecosystem across generations.