An appreciation of language and literacy through the arts

On Monday, 13 October 2025, the Zenex Foundation marked three decades of work in education in South Africa by convening a seminar that highlighted both the depth of its work and the breadth of partnerships that have shaped Zenex over the years. This gathering in Johannesburg brought together Zenex trustees and staff, stakeholders from government, funders, NGOs, researchers, academics, and evaluators.

Prof. Johann Mouton, from Stellenbosch University, reflected on Zenex’s evidence-based approach and shared insights drawn from Zenex research and evaluations over the 30 years.

A panel discussion with Prof. Mary Metcalfe (Programme to Improve Learning Outcomes), Mr Giles Gillet (National Association of Social Change Entities in Education) and Mr Albert Chanee (Gauteng Department of Education) focused on and challenged all education stakeholders to continuously self-reflect, keep well informed and work collaboratively to contribute to system level education delivery, quality and design.

A central theme in all the inputs made was the continued importance of collective learning from rigorous evidence, and thoughtful collaboration in achieving sustainable impact in education.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us, for making this anniversary a meaningful moment of connection, reflection, and renewed resolve to improve education for all children in South African.

Click here for presentations and photo gallery.