Cape Town libraries have secured four Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards, recognising programmes advancing early literacy, digital skills, multilingualism and climate-responsive community spaces.
The annual awards, hosted by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, recognise cultural, linguistic and heritage excellence across the province. This year, nominations were received from 375 public libraries.
Among the winners was the City of Cape Town Library and Information Services, which received the Reading and Literacy Champion Award for its 1 000 Stories before School programme.
Launched in 2022 as the first implementation project of the City of Cape Town Reading Strategy, the programme encourages children to experience 1 000 stories before entering formal schooling.
It brings together libraries, families, educators, healthcare workers, NGOs and community organisations to help children develop an early relationship with stories, language and learning.
Participation has grown significantly. The programme recorded 2,464 registered participants in 2023, increasing to more than 20,571 children by June 2026.
Brackenfell Public Library received the Digital Literacy Champion Award, with Lonwabo Mabele recognised for work combining community learning with new technology.
The library’s digital literacy programme resulted in Ubuntu Bytes, an initiative where young people combined practical life skills with technology by using artificial intelligence to develop recipe prompts.
Athlone Library received the Neville Alexander Award for an Outstanding Contribution towards theCape Town Libraries Win Four Awards Promotion of Multilingualism for its Digital Reading Den.
The digital platform improves access to reading across Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa, supporting communication and inclusion between the Western Cape’s official language communities.
Sir Lowry’s Pass Library was recognised in the Climate Culture in Action category for its Cool Space Pilot project, demonstrating how libraries can respond to environmental conditions while serving the changing needs of their communities.
City Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health Councillor Francine Higham said libraries continue to play an expanding role in the communities they serve.
“Our libraries continue to be safe places of innovation, learning and growth. I encourage our residents to visit their nearest libraries to experience the award-winning programmes for themselves,” Higham said.
The four awards demonstrate the increasingly diverse role of public libraries — from encouraging children to read before they reach school to building digital skills, supporting multilingual access and developing community responses to environmental challenges.
