Following President Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address, Masinyusane Executive Director Zama Zulu joined eNCA to discuss one of South Africa's most urgent priorities: meaningful youth employment.
In this national television interview, Zama highlights how the Zazi iZandi programme is:
Zazi iZandi has been featured in national and local press for its impact on early literacy in the Eastern Cape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted Zazi iZandi in his State of the Nation Address, citing the programme as a leading example of youth employment and early literacy impact — with Education Assistants central to his vision for expanding youth jobs in South African schools.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the fifth phase of the BEEI — South Africa's largest youth employment programme — placing 200,000 young people in schools as reading champions, curriculum assistants, and more.
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The Herald feature on how Zazi iZandi's structured phonics approach is transforming reading outcomes in Gqeberha township schools.
Read ArticleZazi iZandi: Igniting Young Minds
Official short feature film
Prof Brahm Fleisch on the Data
Leading education researcher unpacks what the numbers show
The Full Feature Film
An in-depth look at the programme and the children it reaches
Inside Zazi iZandi Training
Preparing youth to transform classrooms
Every game our Education Assistants run is designed to make daily letter-sound practice something children genuinely look forward to.
Board Game
Children race along a board, naming letter sounds — combining movement and repetition to build sound automaticity.
Snap
A fast-paced card game where learners race to match letter sounds, building rapid recognition.
Memory Game
Pairs of letter-sound cards laid face down. Children flip and match, reinforcing sound recall.
Container Game
Letter cards sorted into containers by sound — a hands-on categorisation activity that deepens phonemic awareness.
Writing Letters
Children practise forming letters by hand, connecting the visual symbol to its sound.
Hopscotch
A hopscotch grid labelled with letter sounds — children jump and call out sounds, making literacy active.
Every child in our program has a story. Here are just a few of the learners whose lives have been transformed through Zazi iZandi.
When Lulo started the program, he could only identify two letter sounds. After just three months with his Education Assistant, he had mastered half of the alphabet.
Lulo's Story
Grade 1 Learner
Mbali's teacher noticed a complete transformation. She went from being withdrawn in the classroom to participating as she jumped from a zero-letter knowledge child to 16lcpm in 3 months.
Mbali's Journey
Grade R Learner
Qhamani was behind in class, but quickly caught up after 2 terms with his superstar Education Assistant.
Qhamani's Progress
Grade R Learner
Yonela, having hit the Grade 1 benchmark, is well on her way to becoming a future reader.
Yonela's Achievement
Grade 1 Learner
A visual look at Zazi iZandi in action from classroom sessions to community celebrations.