It is estimated that only one percent of the population buys books in a bookstore and that only fourteen percent are active readers.
At the beginning of 2012, several South African media joylessly reported that the country’s adult literacy level, estimated at 89%, is lagging behind some other emerging markets. This in spite of the fact that South Africa directs 18% of total government spending into public education.
Of BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), only India has lower adult literacy rate at 62.8%.
The UN defines the adult literacy rate as the proportion of people aged 15 years and over who can read, write, and speak.
Encouragingly, the youth literacy rate in South Africa is noticeably higher than the national average and stands at 97.57% (2007 UNESCO figures for ages 15 to 24). Interestingly, there are slightly more literate young females (98.09%) than males (97.05%) in South Africa.
It so happened that at about the same time, at the beginning of 2012, one of the most prestigious bookstores in Johannesburg, Die Boekehuis (Afrikaans for the book house), announced that it is closing down due to financial difficulties. The shop was known for its literary events, at which readers could interact with writers.
Other bookstores are also struggling due to lack of buyers.
The low literacy figures are, of course, one of the main causes the bookstores are faring poorly, especially since education levels among many of the nominally literate South Africans are so low that they actually struggle to read.
But that is not all. Reading culture is not widely spread even among the better-off part of the population. All in all, the majority of South Africans seem not to have a use for reading outside of school. They rarely devote their leisure time to reading and do not see reading as an empowering skill.
South African Book Development Council (SABDC) estimates that the huge chunk of the population does not have books in their homes and that only about 1% of the population buys books in bookstores. Research has shown that only 14% of South Africans are active readers of books and that only 5% of parents read to their children. Then, there is the lack of libraries. Of the 14,000 primary schools, only 8% have functional libraries. Overall, 85% of the population lives beyond the reach of a public library.
It is estimated that the South African book industry's turnover at R3.5 billion. However, 75% of that are school and university textbooks, and another 20% religious books. General literature is only a miniscule part of the industry.
Most books will sell only a thousand or so copies, which means that publishers have small print runs, which also keeps the costs (and the prices) high, say the people involved in the publishing industry.
Prices of books are also to blame for the nation's lack of a reading culture. The cheapest paperback costs about R120, and that is a high price in a country where almost a quarter of the working-age population is officially unemployed and where the majority of those who are lucky enough to have a job earns around R2000 to R3000 a month.
The rise of the internet and e-books is one more reason for the decline of reading of the traditional books and the plight of bookstores, a phenomenon visible all over the world.
