This document, produced under the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the Africa Foundational Learning Assessment Initiative, examines the development of early-grade reading benchmarks in South Africa as a response to persistent low literacy outcomes. Despite increased school attendance, many learners fail to achieve reading comprehension by the end of primary school, highlighting the need for clear, measurable standards.

The report outlines how South Africa established empirically grounded benchmarks across all 11 official languages through the Funda Uphumelele National Study (FUNS). Recognizing linguistic diversity, the initiative avoided applying uniform benchmarks and instead developed language-specific standards based on phonological and structural differences. Using large-scale learner data from multiple studies, researchers identified key fluency thresholds linked to comprehension, ensuring both accuracy and contextual relevance.

The methodology combined exploratory, data-driven analysis with validation processes to ensure benchmarks were predictive of future learning and aligned with curriculum expectations. These benchmarks now serve as minimum proficiency standards for Grades 1–3 and are being integrated into teaching, assessment, and system-level monitoring.

Ultimately, the document presents South Africa’s experience as a scalable model for other African countries seeking to strengthen foundational learning through evidence-based assessment, collaboration, and policy alignment.