Mellon Educate’s 2025 Building Blitz is underway in Cape Town, where 450 volunteers, educators and community members are working together to improve literacy outcomes in township schools. The initiative comes as South Africa continues to face a severe early-grade reading crisis, with more than 80% of Grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning.
The international charity, founded by Irish philanthropist Niall Mellon, is refurbishing classrooms and setting up Literacy Hubs to support one-on-one reading sessions and digital learning. The hubs form part of a national effort to strengthen early-grade reading and create better learning environments in under-resourced schools.
Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier, who visited the Blitz, said the collaboration between the department, Mellon Educate and local schools shows what is possible when partners align behind a single goal. “We are very proud of this strong partnership with a school, Mellon Educate and the Department, all mobilising around a common goal to improve literacy,” Maynier said.
Independent evaluations of Mellon Educate’s Literacy Hub model show literacy gains of between 40% and 50% within a year. The organisation aims to reach one million children by 2035 through 600 hubs nationally and the training of 10,000 youth literacy tutors.
Niall Mellon said the programme reflects a new phase for the organisation. “You can’t build a country if its children can’t read,” he said. “For us, this is the next phase of nation-building. Every Literacy and Digital Hub we open is a cornerstone for South Africa’s future.”
The initiative also creates jobs for young people. Ninety percent of Mellon Educate’s tutors were previously unemployed. Mellon says empowering youth is an essential part of the model. “South African corporates have both the ability and responsibility to help solve the literacy crisis,” he added. “By supporting literacy today, companies are investing in the country’s future workforce.”
At ACJ Phakade Primary School in Lwandle, classrooms that were previously rundown have been transformed. Acting principal Mandisa Lehoke said the changes are visible in learners’ attitudes. “Mellon Educate has built a solid foundation for my school. It will not only give the children quality teaching but, more importantly, quality learning,” she said.
Mellon describes the Building Blitz as a collective act of hope. “When you walk through a site like this, you feel the heartbeat of what South Africa can be,” he said. “This isn’t charity. It’s shared humanity.”
Mellon Educate currently supports more than 4,000 learners across 17 schools, and the organisation is in talks to expand the model across all nine provinces.
