Cape Town: Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Francine Higham joined the Library and Information Services of the City of Cape Town, in partnership with Nal’ibali and Iziko Museums, and celebrated World Read Aloud Day 2026 (WRAD). The event took place at the Iziko Museum of South Africa under the theme: Magic at the Museum.
The venue was intentionally selected as it speaks directly to the 2026 theme: ‘Unlocking Magic Through Stories – A Journey of Hope and Adventure’.
Executive Director: Core Functions at Iziko Museums of South Africa – Dr. Bongani Ndhlovu officially welcomed the participating story readers, including Mayor Hill Lewis, Councillor Higham, and Community Services and Health Executive Director – Zukiswa Mandlana. These special guests were positioned throughout the museum in dedicated genre themed sections, where they engaged with the visited school groups in a series of storytelling sessions.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that in the country, where poor literacy holds so many children back from fulfilling their dreams, let’s all do what they can to encourage more reading, especially reading aloud to the children. Spending the morning in the company of these girls and boys, and sharing with them some wonderful stories, is such a privilege and a pleasure.
At grades two and three, they are at the perfect age to discover for themselves the magic of storytelling and books. The City of Cape Town has more than a hundred beautiful public libraries right across the metro where young Capetonians can enter this world of imagination and adventure, and at the same time, acquire the one skill that will set them up for life, said Lewis.
WRAD is observed annually to promote literacy, storytelling and a culture of reading. It is a global campaign that encourages individuals, families, schools and communities to read aloud together and celebrate the transformative power of stories.
Cllr Francine Higham said that reading aloud to children, from infancy, is one of the greatest gifts they can give. It boosts vocabulary, builds listening skills and sparks imagination as they discover the joy of stories. Through the libraries, they are proud to support World Read Aloud Day by opening doors to magic, hope and adventure, and by nurturing a lifelong love of reading that gives children a strong foundation as they begin their journey into school and beyond.
Considering this, Dr. Ndhlovu said that the learners were transported from Gugulethu, Mfuleni, Goodwood and Lentegeur and treated to a special adventure at the museum, where a day of reading was combined with exploration, discovery and fun.
According to Ndhlovu, Iziko Museums is delighted to open its doors to young learners as part of World Read Aloud Day 2026. These museums are spaces of wonder, engagement and imagination and the partnership with LIS allows them to bring stories to life in an environment where learning extends beyond the page. By combining storytelling with exploration, they hope to inspire a lifelong love of reading and show children that knowledge, heritage and magic can be discovered in many forms.
Furthermore, this year, Nal’ibali has set an ambitious national goal: to read aloud to four million children across South Africa on WRAD.
Nal’ibali Western Cape Provincial Coordinator – Carol Titus said that the City of Cape Town is proud to support this collective effort to inspire a lifelong love of reading and stories. At Nal’ibali, they believe that storytelling has the power to unlock children’s potential and shape their futures.
The 2026 WRAD story, A New Friend, is a milestone publication. It was originally created in South African Sign Language (SASL) by the team at SLED and then translated into all other official languages. The story introduces Thandiwe, a new Deaf Nal’ibali character illustrated by Rico, emphasising inclusivity and representation in children’s literature.
Notably, City libraries hosted a variety of WRAD activities ensuring that the spirit of storytelling is shared widely. Events took place in ECD centres, schools, clinics, libraries and old age homes.