In 1976, 40 years ago, the American Bible Society published the complete Good News Bible (GNB) for the first time. This Bible was launched in South Africa at the end of that year. Since 1977 a South African edition of this translation has been published by the Bible Society of South Africa.
According to recent research, the Bible remains relevant to most Christians in South Africa. On the scale of one to 10, where 10 represents most relevant, the findings show that 64,9% of respondents rated the importance of the Bible in their lives between 8 and 10.
More than 23 million Bibles are needed in South Africa, according to recent research conducted by the research company Ipsos. Some 44% of South African Christian households indicated that they did not need additional Bibles, whilst 46,7% still need between one and three Bibles for members of their household.
It is a cold Free State morning and a few hundred people are seated inside the Multi Purpose Hall in Phuthaditjhaba.
The audience is made up of teachers, parents, representatives of the Education Department, ministers, community leaders and Bible Society staff.
Then, of course, there are the VIP's that no one can miss. There are some 300 of them, their faces beaming with excitement in anticipation of receiving two literacy booklets in their language, Sesotho, from the Bible Society here the official launch. They are grade R, 1 and 2 learners from various schools in Phuthaditjhaba
