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06 August 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Supplied
Mobi Readathon
Attending the MobiReadathon (left to right): Rasesemola Elias, Principal Librarian, Fezile Dabi District; Mzwandile Radebe, Principal Librarian, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality; Jeannet Molopyane, Director, UFS Library and Information Services; Nomabhaso Ramugondo, Director, Free State Provincial Library Services; Elmari Kruger, Deputy Director, Motheo District Municipality; Larshan Naicker, Deputy Director, UFS Library and Information Services; Adele Bezuidenhout, Deputy Director, Fezile Dabi District Municipality; Henna Adendorff, Assistant Manager, Free State Provincial Library Services; and Thandi Gxabu, Librarian, Free State Provincial Library Services.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Library and Information Services recently hosted the 2025 MobiReadathon competition, a digital reading initiative established by the City of Johannesburg Library Services. Now a national programme involving all nine provinces, the competition was introduced to Grade 8 high school learners in the Free State for the first time, with UFS playing a central role in supporting digital literacy and community empowerment.

Held at the UFS Sasol Library on 25 July 2025, the Free State leg of the 2025 MobiReadathon brought together 50 Grade 8 learners from across the province. The room buzzed with excitement as the young readers engaged in digital reading tasks and trivia challenges via mobile devices.

“I never liked reading, and because I am not fluent in English I thought I should start reading, and this initiative has been helpful for me,” said Bohlokwa Dikoetsing, a learner at Bodibeng Secondary School.

Tshepo Kgaola, also a participant, said the most exciting part of the competition was when his team won a voucher for reading after they created a story using artificial intelligence (AI).

“This initiative is part of our digital transformation agenda for public libraries,” said Nomabhaso (Rasby) Ramugondo, Director of the Free State Provincial Library Services. Ramugondo emphasised the issue of reading with understanding in South Africa, a priority that she hopes to see eradicated through programmes like the MobiReadathon. “We had asked Jeff Nyoka from the City of Johannesburg Library Services to come and do a presentation about digital literacy,” she explained. “It was then that a team of digital transformers was established to come up with initiatives like the Reja Buka Reading Festival that will help learners – and that is how the collaboration on the MobiReadathon came about in Free State.” 

“The essence of this collaboration is to promote reading development,” said Tebogo Msimango, Senior Librarian for E-learning Programmes at the City of Johannesburg. Just like Ramugondo, Msimango explains the need to promote digital reading due to the issue of learners not being able to read for meaning.

“The outcome I would like for this initiative is for learners to discover themselves and come to an understanding that with reading, one could go far,” Msimango said. “These collaborations also help with making the learners realise that they could also come into the university space, and a good example is the tour that they were taken on around the library.”

UFS Library Services played a pivotal role in facilitating the event, offering logistical support. As part of its community engagement initiatives, the university continues to collaborate on programmes that uplift local youth and promote literacy through innovation.

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Cream of the crop of Grade 12 learners invited to become part of Kovsie family
2016-05-06

Description: 2016 Top achievers Tags: 2016 Top achievers

“You are all here because we believe in you, the cream of the crop of Grade 12 learners in Bloemfontein. We acknowledge you, and hope that you will entrust us with your future, and become part of the Kovsie family.” With these words, Nomonde Mbadi, Director of Marketing at the University of the Free State (UFS), welcomed selected guests to a function dedicated to the top achievers at their respective secondary schools.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, highlighted an aspect of the university that is often overlooked.  “It is extremely important that you not only achieve a degree at university … The greater goal of education is to provide a set of values with which you can interact with humankind.”

Showcasing some of the university’s most talented students, Prof Jansen highlighted achievers such as Nozimanga    Bonje, who overcame tragedy, trauma, and hardship to attain her BSc in Genetics and is now studying for her Honours degree; and Tanya Calitz, a newly-graduated (summa cum laude) law student now clerking for Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke, in the Constitutional Court. Prof Jansen also conducted an interview with Kovsies’ sport star, Wayde van Niekerk, who won gold last year in the 400m at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

Learners were given the opportunity to pose questions to Prof Jansen, and, afterwards, to interact with deans and faculty marketers to obtain relevant information. The Admissions Department also had several workstations set up with staff members on hand to facilitate online applications for those who had already chosen a field of study.

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