Suzuki on the road again with Rally to Read in Kwa Zulul Natal
Following the success of last year’s event, Suzuki Auto South Africa on 8 February again joined forces with the KwaZulu-Natal leg of the Rally to Read programme.
Since its establishment in 1998, Rally to Read aims to uplift the lives of learners at rural primary schools with the provision of sufficient, relevant and age-appropriate reading materials. It also focuses on equipping teachers with the right skills and commitment to ensure their learners can become proficient at reading and writing.
Rally to Read supports clusters of schools across several provinces, selecting them strategically in order to maximise the programme’s success. A dedicated trainer then mentors and trains teachers, while each school receives a supply of books, housed in "Classroom Libraries," for all grade levels. This support continues for three consecutive years, ensuring the skills become ingrained and sustainable within the schools.
In 2025, the KwaZulu-Natal Rally to Read programme is supporting 13 needy schools in the areas surrounding Bulwer; a small town approximately two hours away from Durban and 35 minutes away from Underberg. Of these schools, Suzuki Auto was this year tasked to look after Nkwezela (19 teachers and 546 learners) and Nomgidi (8 teachers and 205 learners) Primary schools. In 2024 it serviced Enkelabantwana and Ndebeni Primary, which together comprised 28 teachers and 774 learners.
“We are grateful to have the opportunity to support initiatives such as Rally to Read,”
says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.
“It’s an empowering project that provides a platform for companies to contribute to the development of South African education in a meaningful and sustainable way. Since its inception over R120 million has been invested in literacy training, thanks to the generous support of approximately 160 private sector and individual sponsors.”
For their 2025 mission, the Japanese carmaker decided to utilise a pair of versatile Ertiga seven-seaters to deliver a generous cache of donated books, equipment and other assorted educational paraphernalia. Specifically designed for family adventures or group outings, the Suzuki Ertiga’s flexible and easy to adjust seating configuration makes it equally well suited to carrying large amounts of cargo with ease; as does its punchy yet fuel-efficient 77kW/138Nm 1.5 litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Both vehicles delivered their loads to the schools during the morning of 8 February. Members of the Suzuki Auto team were introduced to the school principals, various heads of department and, of course, the excited, curious and grateful learners.
“As we have in the past, we encourage our Suzuki family and fellow automotive industry professionals to visit rallytoread.org.za to contribute, lend a hand, or simply raise awareness. Together, we can help establish the literacy foundation that these children need to build a successful academic future and, ultimately, a fulfilling life.”
