The National Library of South Africa, in collaboration with the Department of Correctional Services and George Municipality hosted the15th edition of the annual Funda Mzantsi Championship at the Eden Place Hall in George from 06 to 09 October 2025.
The Funda Mzantsi Championship provides a unique opportunity that brings together community book clubs, correctional services book clubs, and university book clubs to promote the culture of reading, knowledge sharing and intellectual growth. The championship continues to play a critical role in the reintegration of offenders and their overall rehabilitation.
Celebrated under the theme “Accelerating Access to Information for All,” FMC celebrates the joy and importance reading. Over 400 participants from all over the country participated in the following categories: impromptu reading, debating, spelling bee and book reviewing. The competition featured all 12 South African official languages, and, for the first time since inception, the Nama language was introduced, marking a historic milestone in promoting cultural diversity.
Nsovo Masingi, a participant from the University of Pretoria book club, expressed excitement on the changes introduced in the 2025 championships. “The four days instead of five is a win for me; it makes the competition more exciting. This is my sixth year attending FMC, and I can say the standard keeps growing.”
In his closing remarks, Dr. Ralph Links, CEO of the National Library of South Africa, expressed excitement over the successful hosting of the 15th edition of the FMC, and he thanked all strategic partners for their unwavering commitment to supporting and promoting the culture of reading. He further reaffirmed the NLSA’s commitment to supporting the establishment and strengthening of community book clubs.
“This is a beautiful time; this is what Nelson Mandela spoke about, and we have to embrace it. My encouragement to all the book clubs here today and around the county is to go back into your provinces and continue to grow your book clubs. A huge thank you to all our stakeholders; without you, none of this would have been possible.”