Mogale City’s Ethembalethu Modular Library has been recognised as one of the winners of the South African Digital Literacy Day Competition 2025, in an initiative led by the City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services eLearning Unit in partnership with the Library and Information Services Association of South Africa (LIASA).
The award acknowledges the library’s outstanding contribution to digital literacy training and its efforts to bridge the digital divide, particularly within disadvantaged and rural communities.
Established in 2024 to serve the Muldersdrift community, the library, despite operating with limited resources, submitted a compelling entry based on its Computer Skills 101 programme, which formed the basis of its award-winning submission.
Through the programme, learners were introduced to essential computer skills, including mouse control, basic computer navigation, opening and closing programmes, file and folder management, and introductory typing skills. For many participants, this marked their first formal exposure to computers.
In a formal communication announcing the winners, the adjudication panel commended the library’s strong focus on digital skills, online safety, and community empowerment, noting the high quality of the submission despite limited infrastructure and equipment. As part of the recognition, the library received an official winner’s certificate and a provincial prize voucher valued at R500.
Speaking on the achievement, Librarian, Peter Morwane who also led the training, highlighted that the motivation behind entering the competition was to show children from deep rural and disadvantaged areas that it is possible to compete and succeed at national level, regardless of background or access to resources. The award serves as proof that libraries remain powerful agents of change within their communities.
This recognition not only celebrates a winning entry but also reaffirms the vital role libraries play in building digitally confident, informed, and empowered communities across South Africa.