City librarians took to the streets of central Cape Town in a vibrant celebration of reading, signaling their commitment to literacy and kicking off the annual South African Library Week (SALW), happening between 15 and 22 March 2026
The road march through the streets of Cape Town has become a fixture on the City libraries calendar and marks the official start of South African Library Week.
What began as a single library’s passion project has blossomed into a city-wide celebration.
In 2014, Central Library launched an annual road march through the streets of Cape Town. At the time, they marched as a solo team, but the spirit of the event was too infectious to stay small. By 2017, the Library & Information Services Department officially joined the movement, transforming the march into a full-scale departmental event.
Today’s march is the 9th annual road march, continuing a legacy of visibility, literacy and community pride across the city.
This year’s theme is Reclaiming Knowledge, Empowering Futures, and focuses on digital inclusion, preserving indigenous knowledge, and fostering community innovation.
City Librarians from across Cape Town joined the public demonstration of their facilities’ relevance and promoting their services, including:
• Digital access: showcasing their diverse range of digital resources and modern applications, such as PressReader and Libby
• Access to information: libraries provide books, free internet access and learning resources for residents
• Social cohesion: building on the momentum of recent city-wide activations to spark curiosity and shared experiences.
The week was initiated by the Library and Information Association of South Africa to promote literacy and library services.
‘South African Library Week purposefully includes Human Rights Day on 21 March to not only highlight the role of libraries in a democracy, but also their role in championing the constitutional right to freedom of access to information. Our libraries are community spaces which promote social cohesion, offer safe spaces and opportunity for all the residents of Cape Town, especially our young people,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.
It is also Fine-Free Week and patrons can return any overdue items to the library and pay zero fines. In addition, if you have lost your library card, this week provides the perfect opportunity to receive a replacement card free of charge.
Libraries across the northern and southern suburbs will host a diverse range of programmes designed to inspire and connect.
And happy birthday to the City of Cape Town’s Goodwood Library, which celebrated its 65th birthday this week!
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WHAT: South African Library Week (SALW)
WHERE: City of Cape Town Libraries
WHEN: 15 and 22 March 2026
INFO: Follow your local library’s social media pages where specific event schedules and updates will be shared | See also MapMyWay
PHOTO: Councillor Francine Higham and Portfolio Chairperson, Councillor Ronel Viljoen, joined the road march
