Our Impact

Data-driven evidence of how Zazi iZandi is transforming early literacy outcomes in the Eastern Cape.

250+
Schools Reached
in Eastern Cape
25,000+
Learners Supported
ECD, Grade R & Grade 1
500+
Teaching Assistants
Trained & Active
2x
Hitting Benchmark
In Each Classroom
Grade 1 Key Metrics

Measuring What Matters

Four core metrics tracking real literacy gains for Grade 1 learners — from baseline to endline.

Letter Knowledge

+179%
Baseline
13.6
Endline
37.9
letters correct per minute

Grade 1 learners nearly tripled their letter-sound fluency over the course of the programme.

Hitting Benchmark

4x
Baseline
13.1%
Endline
52.5%
of children on benchmark

The proportion of Grade 1 learners meeting the reading benchmark quadrupled from baseline to endline.

Zero-Letter Knowledge

-95%
Baseline
23.4%
Endline
1.3%
of children knowing zero letters

Nearly every child who started knowing zero letter sounds gained measurable literacy by end of year.

Word Reading

+68%
Baseline
8.3
Endline
13.9
words read per minute

Grade 1 learners improved their connected-text reading fluency significantly over the intervention period.

Reading Benchmarks

Exceeding National Benchmarks

Zazi iZandi learners consistently outperform national averages in Foundation Phase reading assessments.

Bar chart showing Grade 1 learners benchmark achievement: 13% at start of year, 27% national average end of year, and 53% Zazi iZandi end of year

Doubling the Number of Children Hitting Benchmark

In 6 months, Zazi iZandi doubles the number of children hitting the Grade 1 benchmark of 40 letters correct per minute. Research by Nik Spaull indicates this is highly correlated with becoming a future reader in Grades 3 & 4.

Early Childhood Development

Building Foundations from Age 3

Zazi iZandi is effective with 3–5 year old children too — not just Grade R and Grade 1. Early intervention builds the letter-sound knowledge that unlocks reading.

ECD Letter Knowledge Growth

Children aged 3–5 in the Zazi iZandi programme show extraordinary gains in letter-sound knowledge, growing from near-zero to over 22 letters correct per minute — proving that structured early literacy intervention works well before formal schooling begins.

Baseline
1.7
letters correct per minute
Endline
22.1
letters correct per minute
+1,200% improvement in letter knowledge
ECD letter knowledge improvement chart showing growth from 1.7 to 22.1 letters correct per minute for 3-5 year old children
Data Portal

Evidence from the Data

Charts and visualizations from our assessment data showing measurable literacy gains across schools.

Enter Data Portal
Letters Known Improvement chart showing 193% improvement in letter knowledge, with baseline vs midline comparison for Grade 1 and Grade R

Letters Known Improvement

Placeholder — describe how children improved their letter knowledge by 193% and learned, on average, 8.5 new letters between baseline and midline assessments.

Grade R Improvement chart showing letter sounds known increasing from ~5 to ~11.5 in a 6-week pilot

Grade R Pilot Results

Placeholder — describe the 6-week Grade R pilot results showing letter sounds known more than doubling from beginning to end of the intervention.

ECD Centers: Initial vs Midline vs Endline Performance showing average letters correct growing from ~1.5 initial to ~7 midline to ~22 endline

ECD Centres: Assessment Performance Over Time

ECD centres showed improvement of 14.9 letters from midline to endline, with children progressing from near-zero letter knowledge to over 22 letters correct.

ECD zero letter knowledge reduction chart showing the percentage of children knowing zero letters decreasing over time

ECD: Eliminating Zero Letter Knowledge

Placeholder — describe how the proportion of ECD children with zero letter knowledge was dramatically reduced through the intervention.

Success Stories

Behind the Numbers

Every data point represents a child. Hear from Sibongile about how the Zazi iZandi programme has changed lives in her community.