Promoting a culture of reading among South African children is essential, as their struggles with literacy could have serious consequences for the country’s future.
This is why five mothers,
who are also friends, came together to establish an online bookstore that specialises in children's books featuring characters that are inclusive and diverse in all South African official languages.
Co-founder and director at Ethnikids, Khumo Tapfumaneyi, said the business was created nine years ago from a personal desire to have children's books with representative characters reflecting various South African languages.
“We were frustrated by the lack of inclusion for African families in the book market in South Africa. Out of the five founders, two have remained in the business. We started out as a subscription-based service that then morphed into an online bookstore,” she explained.
She added that the company is passionate about igniting a love of reading among children, and providing diverse material so that more children can relate to it and identify with it.
“We have the widest selection of books featuring representative protagonists in South Africa. It is imperative that we promote and encourage the love of reading in South Africa… children become excited and engaged when they come across material that they identify with. It’s important that our children know and experience books that are made for them,” said Tapfumaneyi. Ethnikids supplies books to homes and schools and also publishes material. It also hosts reading events for children to foster the love of reading and helps stock libraries.
Besides distributing books through its online store, at markets and book fairs, the company has been publishing children's books in all South African languages for Wimpy restuarants for five years now.
The company received grant funding from the National Arts Council in 2019 to conduct a township library tour. In 2023, it attended training provided by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and recently attended a Supplier Training Workshop with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
In February, the company won the Otto Foundation Best Picture Book Award for a children's book that it published in partnership with a popular South African artis, Sho Madjozi titled Shoma and the Stars.
“Over the years, we have employed a total of nine individuals on a casual and permanent basis. Trading online has also enabled a small business like ours to have a national footprint, a global audience and compete
with larger bookstores,” she explained.
TikTok and Instagram: @ethnikids_co Facebook: Ethnikidsco
For more information about the National Arts Council visit www.nac.org.za
The National Empowerment Fund can be reached at www.nefcorp.co.za
Polokwane, 0742, Tel: 015 293 0214.
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