South Africa is facing a serious shortage of foundation phase teachers, particularly those qualified to teach in African languages.
Recent data from the 2025 Reading Panel report reveals that while the country is producing enough teachers overall, the distribution across phases and languages is highly imbalanced.
Secondary school teachers are being trained at nearly twice the required rate, yet foundation phase teachers – those responsible for teaching Grades R to 3 – are being produced at only half the necessary numbers.
This gap is even more alarming in African languages. For some languages, institutions are producing as little as 20% of the required number of teachers, while only Tshivenda, siSwati, and isiNdebele are meeting the demand.
Experts warn that this shortage has severe consequences for literacy development.
Professor Nyoni Cedu of Unisa said when young children are taught in a language they do not fully understand, they struggle with reading, writing, and numeracy. These early difficulties can lead to poor literacy rates and long-term academic challenges.
The lack of African language instruction can also affect learners’ confidence.
“Language is deeply tied to identity,” said Cedu. “When children do not see their home language valued in the classroom, they can feel marginalised, which impacts their self-esteem and motivation to learn.”
One of the biggest challenges in addressing this shortage is the lack of specialised training programmes for African language foundation phase teachers.
Professor Labby Ramrathan, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said that while some universities offer teacher training in indigenous languages, these programmes do not produce enough graduates to meet demand.
“In many cases, existing teachers are teaching in African languages, but they are not formally trained to do so,” he said. “This means that while learners are being exposed to their home languages, the quality of instruction may not be strong enough to build proper literacy skills.”
Another issue is the low enrolment of students in foundation phase teaching programmes, particularly among black male students. Teaching young children is often perceived as less prestigious than other education fields, making it difficult to attract enough candidates.
Professor Chika Sehoole of the University of Pretoria said that despite government prioritisation of early childhood education, budget allocations remain insufficient.
“Some provinces are even laying off teachers due to austerity measures. This makes it difficult to recruit and retain educators, especially in rural areas where the need is greatest.”
Experts agree that urgent intervention is needed to address this crisis. A key step is increasing investment in teacher training programmes, particularly those that focus on African language instruction. Universities must be better equipped with the resources and expertise to train foundation phase teachers effectively.
In addition, improving working conditions can help retain experienced teachers. This includes reducing class sizes, providing more teaching resources, and ensuring schools have adequate infrastructure.
“We need to create an environment where teachers feel supported and motivated,” said Sehoole.
Developing and distributing high-quality learning materials in African languages is another crucial step.
The Reading Panel report noted that the Teacher Demographic Dividend project had also warned of an impending retirement wave, with 50% of teachers over the age of 50 expected to retire by 2030.
The panel welcomed the announcement in this year’s State of the Nation Address that the Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme will prioritise foundation phase teachers. However, it noted that this needed to be supported by improved Bachelor of Education programme content and alignment with language-specific needs, and practical experience.
“There is also the question of a systemic response to upskilling the existing cohort of teachers.”