College of Human Sciences

Unisa on a quest to encourage the use of African languages in schools through storytelling

Share
Unisa-quest-encourage-use-African-languages-banner.jpg

The Unisa team

As part of the College of Human Sciences’ Heritage Month celebrations, the Department of Information Science hosted a week-long storytelling and reading competition across the Limpopo Province. The competition was held from 15 to 19 September 2025.

The project stems from the Makgabeng project, which aimed to preserve heritage resources in the Makgabeng area from 2013 to 2016. The purpose of the project is to encourage the use of storytelling to teach and preserve the heritage embodied in the stories that are told.

The project was steered by Prof Jan Maluleka (project leader), Prof Maoka Dikotla (project member and researcher), Prof Samuel Mojapelo (project member and researcher), Prof Ngoako Marutha (project member and researcher), Marcia Nkwe (project member and researcher), Dr Mahlatse Shekgole (project member and researcher) and Gilbert Mathebe (College of Human Sciences Deanery).

All schools are assisted in arranging their own internal reading and storytelling competitions. The best-performing students were selected to participate in the regional competition in September. Each region was assigned a project member to ensure that preparations and internal selections were completed before September.

Day one was on 15 September in the Bela-Bela region. Four primary schools competed against each other. In total, 40 learners participated in the competition, and Setswana stories were told. Overall, Swarisanang Primary School was the best-performing school in storytelling, and Mogotlhwane Primary School was the overall winner of the reading section.

On day two, the competition moved to Ga Sekgopo village, where 18 schools from the Rakwadu 2 circuit participated in reading and storytelling. Each school was represented by six learners. In total, 108 learners participated.

On day three, the competition moved to Ga Molepo village, where nine schools participated. Each school was represented by six learners in each of the two categories. Sehlale Primary School took the overall prize for reading, and for storytelling, the honours went to Rampheri Primary School.

Ga Matlala village was the team’s destination on day four of the competition, where five schools participated. Each school was represented by ten learners, five in each category. In total, 50 learners participated in the competition. The host, Nong Modikwa Primary School, won overall awards for both storytelling and reading for 2025.

Maluleka said they hoped to host more schools around Limpopo in future to motivate learners to take pride in speaking their mother language and to showcase their creativity through storytelling. He also thanked the College of Human Sciences for their continued support, and all institutions that donated books, pens, caps and other gift items for learners. 

* By Nnana Martina Jege, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Human Sciences

Share

Publish date: 2025-10-30 00:00:00.0

Unisa Shop