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Good practice Imported

Speaking Books — Sound-Chip Audiobooks for Low-Literacy Health Education

South Africa · Johannesburg · See the South Africa profile · See the Johannesburg profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 82% 52/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

South African NGO Speaking Books embeds sound chips in illustrated 16-page books that narrate health information aloud in a reader's own language, reaching people who cannot read; it reports 200,000+ books across 35+ countries and 40 languages, though independent outcome evaluati

200000 books (200,000+)
Books distributed
35 countries (35+)
Countries reached
40 languages (~40)
Languages available
100 topics (100+)
Health topics covered
120 additional people per book (120+)
Estimated onward reach per book (UNICEF estimate)
20 years (2005-present)
Years in continuous operation
Speaking Books — Sound-Chip Audiobooks for Low-Literacy Health Education

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Speaking Books
Period
2005–present
Keywords
health literacy, audio technology, low-literacy inclusion, public health, NGO

Context

Speaking Books, a South African NGO founded in 2005 by Zane Wilson, embeds a small sound chip in illustrated 16-page booklets that narrate health information aloud in a listener's own language at the turn of a page — requiring no smartphone, electricity or reading literacy.

Objectives

Reach people that printed health materials alone cannot reach, covering topics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal health, depression and suicide prevention, narrated by local voices, sometimes trusted public figures.

Activities

Over 20 years of continuous operation, Speaking Books has produced and distributed books with institutional partners including UNICEF, USAID and Save the Children.

Results

The organisation and independent reporting (the Borgen Project) report more than 200,000 books distributed, covering over 100 topics in around 40 languages across more than 35 developing countries; UNICEF estimates each book is shared onward to reach 120 or more additional people.

Conclusions

These are output figures — books produced and distributed — not measured outcomes; no controlled study of whether the books actually change health knowledge or behaviour was found, so real-world impact, while plausible and long-sustained, is not independently evidenced.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Founded and run by Speaking Books (South African NGO, founded by mental-health practitioner Zane Wilson); local narrators, sometimes trusted public figures, recorded in the listener's own language

Conditions for success

  • No smartphone, electricity or reading literacy required — only pressing a button as the page turns
  • Local-language, culturally trusted narration
  • Sustained institutional partnerships (UNICEF, USAID, Save the Children) supporting distribution across 35+ countries

Commonly funded by

Philanthropic / foundation funding

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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