From South African Classrooms to the African Continent Funda Wande Presents Mother-Tongue Teaching in IsiXhosa at African Languages Conference in Accra

Funda Wande’s Siwaphiwe Sibeko presents alongside her career role model, DBE’s Dr. Naledi Mbude-Mehana, in a powerful demonstration of what works in early literacy — and proof that mother tongue languages are not only a national priority, but an international one.

Funda Wande, a South African non-profit at the forefront of mother-tongue-based early learning, is represented this week in Accra, Ghana, at the African Languages and Literacies Conference (AFLC) — doing something rare: demonstrating the solution, not just debating the problem.

Programmes Officer Siwaphiwe Sibeko is presenting a session titled Language, the Elephant in African Classrooms, Addressed by MTBBE. In a powerful act of linguistic advocacy, she is delivering it entirely in isiXhosa — in a country where isiXhosa is not spoken.

But what makes this moment extraordinary is who is sharing the stage with her.

Sibeko is presenting alongside her career role model, Dr. Naledi Mbude-Mehana, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Basic Education and a pioneer of South Africa’s Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education (MTBBE) programme. Introduced in 2024 and rolled out from 2025, MTBBE represents one of the most significant education policy shifts in a generation: ensuring that from Grade 4, children learn in their mother tongue while developing English alongside it — a bilingual model that builds both languages without leaving either behind.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE CLASSROOM
Sibeko’s presentation explores how language policy quietly shapes who succeeds and who is marginalised in African classrooms. It draws directly on the work Funda Wande has been doing since 2017 — producing bilingual, mother-tongue-aligned materials through its Bala Wande literacy programme in isiXhosa, Sepedi, Afrikaans, and English, across the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and the Western Cape.

“Language is often the invisible barrier to learning,” Sibeko explains. “We are proud to see it being placed at the centre of the conversation.”

For Sibeko, who grew up in Namakwê, this work is personal as much as it is professional. She understands from lived experience what it means to learn in a language that is not your own.

“Language can either limit you or give you access. When a child learns in a language that is not their own, they are not just learning maths — they are learning the language at the same time. That is two burdens on one small person. MTBBE removes that burden.” — Siwaphiwe Sibeko, Programmes Officer, Funda Wande

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
South Africa’s MTBBE rollout is underway — and Funda Wande’s Foundation Phase work has been laying the groundwork for exactly this moment. Its bilingual Bala Wande materials support children learning in their home language from Grade R through Grade 3. MTBBE picks up precisely where that work leaves off, extending mother-tongue instruction into Grade 4 and beyond, creating for the first time a coherent language pathway through the primary years.

The model exists. The materials exist. The results exist. Organisations like Funda Wande have been inside classrooms for years, equipping teachers with the tools and support to make mother-tongue instruction work at scale.

“The elephant in the African classroom is that language is complicated. It requires planning and evaluation to ensure we give quality learning and teaching material so that programmes can be implemented with fidelity. But we are past the point of not talking about it. The research is clear. The results are clear. What we need now is the will to act.” — Siwaphiwe Sibeko, Programmes Officer, Funda Wande

Funda Wande is ready to continue doing its part — and calls on government, funders, and education partners to resource and sustain what is already working in classrooms today.

MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGES ARE ALSO INTERNATIONAL
That Sibeko presents in isiXhosa on a stage in Ghana — where isiXhosa is not spoken — is itself a statement. It affirms what Funda Wande has always maintained: that African languages are not parochial tools of local convenience. They are rich, capable vehicles of knowledge, scholarship, and international dialogue. They belong on every stage.

The AFLC brings together researchers, educators, policymakers, and practitioners from across Africa to advance the role of African languages in learning. Funda Wande’s presence in Accra signals that South Africa’s practitioners are ready to contribute to that conversation — not only as implementers of policy, but as voices helping to shape what mother tongue education looks like across the continent.

ACCESS WILL NOW BE FREEDOM
“What gives me hope is that we are now having these conversations. That we now have policies like MTBBE. Access will now be freedom. An African child who learns in their language can show up fully — at school, at the hospital, in the courtroom, in the boardroom. That is what this work is about.” — Siwaphiwe Sibeko, Programmes Officer, Funda Wande

ABOUT FUNDA WANDE
Funda Wande is a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to improving early reading and mathematics outcomes in Foundation Phase classrooms. Working across the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and the Western Cape, Funda Wande develops bilingual, mother-tongue-aligned learning and teaching support materials — including the Bala Wande literacy programme — and provides structured teacher support. Its work is rooted in the conviction that every child deserves the opportunity to learn in the language they understand best, and to grow into their full potential as a result.

www.fundawande.org to speak to a resource at Funda Wande for more details contact Ambeswa Mgandela –(Communications and Advocacy / Officer)

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Author: Dee’s Harilal from JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Funda Wande.

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