View source for Mobile Literacy in South Africa

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[[File:Visualisation NEU.jpg|thumb|mLiteracy Visualisation]]
'''Mobile literacy in South Africa''' refers to informal education initiatives that support literacy and digital fluency using mobile devices, especially [[Mobile phone|mobile phones]]. It is also known by the abbreviation mLiteracy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pegrum |first=Mark |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137309815_6 |title=Mobile Learning |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-137-30981-5 |location=London |chapter=Teaching Literacy/Ies with Mobile Devices |pages=157–187 |doi=10.1057/9781137309815_6}}</ref>

The mobile literacy ecosystem in [[South Africa]] was mapped in January 2015, using the [[UNESCO]] study "Reading in the Mobile Era: A Study of Mobile Reading in Developing Countries" as a starting point.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reading in the mobile era: a study of mobile reading in developing countries |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210175648/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf/ |archivedate=2015-02-10}}</ref> 
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== Ecosystem of mLiteracy in South Africa ==
{{Culture of South Africa|South Africa=DJ lokayzin Music art}}
The ecosystem in South Africa includes authors, users, content providers, platforms, mobile networks, funding agencies, and training facilities, including schools and libraries. Most of the projects use [[Creative Commons licence]]s. Their target groups are primarily children, teenagers, and young adults.

=== Content providers ===
*[[African Storybook]]. Founded in 2013, it publishes illustrated children's stories in English, and over 40 African languages.<ref>{{cite web |last1=The African Storybook |title=The African Storybook |url=http://africanstorybook.org/stories-by-language |accessdate=27 April 2015 |website=The African Storybook}}</ref> 
* Book Dash. Founded in 2014, it creates free print, and mobile-ready African storybooks for young children, published under a Creative Commons licence.
* FunDza publishes stories for teenagers, and young adults in [[Languages of South Africa|11 of South Africa's official languages]]. Readers can also comment, and write their own stories.
* Nal'ibali. Nal'ibali publishes stories in all official South African languages which parents can read to their children.
* Penreach hosts the Asifundze Programme, focused on improving literacy, and numeracy for children between 5 and 9.

*[[Worldreader]] was founded in 2010 by Coleen McElwee, and [[David Risher]], the former Senior Vice President for Amazon's US Retail. It publishes eBooks for developing countries at discounted prices.
*Yoza Cellphone Stories was launched in 2009 by Steve Vosloo, digital policy specialist for [[UNICEF]]’s Office of Global Insight and Policy. No longer active, its stories are housed on the FunDza website.
* Puku Foundation is a reading promotion, indigenous language advocacy and book curation organisation, which also hosts a digital [[encyclopedia]] housing and reviewing children’s literature.

=== Contribution and license activators ===
*[[Creative Commons|Creative Commons South Africa]] provides copyright licenses to simplify sharing creative works.
*[[WikiAfrica]] encourages the development of African for [[Wikipedia]]. 
*[[Wikipedia Zero]] grants access to Wikipedia without any airtime costs.

=== Library-based projects ===
*The [[Johannesburg City Library]] has initiatives supporting eLearning and promoting techno-literacy.
*The [[Library and Information Association of South Africa]] (LIASA) is a platform for libraries and librarians.
*The Ulwazi Programme, established in 2008 by the [[eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality|eThekwini]] Municipality’s Libraries and Heritage Department, collects and shares knowledge about local culture and history.

=== Research into mobile literacy ===
Researchers at the University of Cape Town studied the link between mobile literacy and multilingualism and <ref>{{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=https://m4lit.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/m4lit_mobile_literacies_mwalton_20101.pdf/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217174855/http://m4lit.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/m4lit_mobile_literacies_mwalton_20101.pdf |archivedate=2013-12-17 |accessdate=2015-02-08}} Walton, Marion: Mobile Literacy & South African Teens: Leisure reading, writing, and MXit chatting for teens in Langa and Guguletu (December 2009) (Retrieved 2.8.2015)</ref> the significance of public access locations like libraries and [[cybercafe]]s in promoting mobile literacy.<ref>[http://www.globalimpactstudy.org/in-depth-studies/mobile-internet/ Walton, M., & Donner, J. Public access, private mobile: The interplay of shared access and the mobile Internet for teenagers in Cape Town. Global Impact Study Research Report Series., 1–69. (2012). (Retrieved 2.8.2015)]</ref> This expands on research that investigated how technological improvements might promote media sharing on mobile devices<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Walton |first1=Marion |last2=Hassreiter |first2=Silke |last3=Marsden |first3=Gary |last4=Allen |first4=Sena |date=May 18, 2012 |title=Degrees of Sharing: Proximate Media Sharing and Messaging by Young People in Khayelitsha |url=http://pubs.cs.uct.ac.za/id/eprint/789/ |publisher=University of Cape Town |via=pubs.cs.uct.ac.za}}</ref> and characterizes the nature of mobile-first digital literacy practices.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Donner |first1=Jonathan |last2=Gitau |first2=Shikoh |last3=Marsden |first3=Gary |date=April 8, 2011 |title=Exploring Mobile-only Internet Use: Results of a Training Study in Urban South Africa |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/750 |journal=International Journal of Communication |volume=5 |pages=24 |via=ijoc.org}}</ref>

=== International affiliated organisations ===
*Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) in Africa conducts programmes for librarians in [[Ethiopia]], [[Ghana]], [[Kenya]] and [[South Africa]].
*Goethe-Institut Johannesburg: The [[Goethe-Institut]] is the [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]]’s cultural institute. Since 2014, it has initiated international dialogue about digital developments in education, culture and society.
*Kenya National Library Service: Kisumu & Kibera project. The [[National Library Service of Kenya]]  (KNLS) develops, promotes, establishes and equips libraries in Kenya. 
*German Library Association launched the "Reading is strength" project, aimed at improving digital and new media competence.
*Mobiliteracy Uganda is supported by the [[United States Agency for International Development]]. It delivers reading lessons to an adult's phone so they can share with their children; audio files allow illiterate parents to also participate in the project.
*Launched in [[Senegal]], Sen Mobile provides mobile development focused on learning, health and entertainment.

== Developments and challenges ==
Since implementation in 2009,<ref>[https://m4lit.wordpress.com/about-the-project/ "...the pilot phase of the project a mobile novel (m-novel) was written and published in September 2009 on a mobisite and on MXit". (Retrieved 8.2.2015])</ref> the mLiteracy landscape in South Africa has seen a rise in smart phones.<ref>[http://www.gallup.com/poll/168797/africa-continues-going-mobile.aspx/ "Nearly two-thirds (65%) of households in 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa had at least one mobile phone in 2013, with median growth of 27% since 2008 and median annual growth of 5%." (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]</ref> But even with the increase in projects, and related content, the lack of Africa-relevant content, and content in African languages, as well as the cost of airtime that allows for access, remain major problems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2013/02/article_0006.html/ |title=Where is Africa on the Internet? |accessdate=2015-02-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215103302/http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2013/02/article_0006.html |archivedate=2015-02-15 }} "There are more Wikipedia articles written about Antarctica than all but one of the 54 countries in Africa." (Retrieved 8.2.2015)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.researchictafrica.net/publications/Country_Specific_Policy_Briefs/Internet_going_mobile_-_Internet_access_and_usage_in_11_African_countries.pdf/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2015-02-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325212001/http://researchictafrica.net/publications/Country_Specific_Policy_Briefs/Internet_going_mobile_-_Internet_access_and_usage_in_11_African_countries.pdf |archivedate=2016-03-25 }} Research ICT Africa Policy Brief No 2: Internet going mobile - Internet access and usage in 11 African countries (Sept. 2012) (retrieved 8.2.2015)</ref>

==See also==
* [[Digital divide in South Africa]]
* [[Internet in South Africa]]
* [[Media of South Africa]]
* [[Telecommunications in South Africa]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Literature ==
<!-- here you can point books or printed articles, that you have used as an source for your page -->
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150210175648/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf/ Reading in the mobile era (UNESCO, 2014) (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150210165902/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002196/219641e.pdf/ UNESCO policy guidelines for mobile learning (2013) (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150210171231/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002196/219637E.pdf/ The Future of Mobile Learning: implications for policy makers and planners (UNESCO, 2013) (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150210165645/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002163/216359E.pdf/ Turning on Mobile Learning in Africa and the Middle East: illustrative initiatives and policy implications (UNESCO 2012) (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131217174855/http://m4lit.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/m4lit_mobile_literacies_mwalton_20101.pdf Walton, Marion: Mobile Literacy & South African Teens: Leisure reading, writing, and MXit chatting for teens in Langa and Guguletu (December 2009) (Retrieved 2.8.2015)] 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150214143720/http://literacy.org/sites/literacy.org/files/publications/wagner_mobiles4reading_usaid_june_14.pdf Mobile for Reading: A landscape research review (June, 2014) (Retrieved 8.2.2015)]
*[http://www.globalimpactstudy.org/in-depth-studies/mobile-internet/ Walton, M., & Donner, J. Public access, private mobile: The interplay of shared access and the mobile Internet for teenagers in Cape Town. Global Impact Study Research Report Series., 1–69. (2012). (Retrieved 2.8.2015)]

{{South Africa topics}}
[[Category:Telecommunications in South Africa]]
[[Category:Literacy]]
[[Category:Mobile web]]
[[Category:Education in South Africa]]