This Heritage Month, CBeebies is bringing the beauty of African languages to life by translating seven beloved Sleepy Time Stories into Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, and Afrikaans. These special dubbed episodes will air on CBeebies (DStv channel 306) from 2nd September to 29th September, every day between 7pm and 9pm.
As BBC Studios' dedicated pre-school channel, CBeebies aims to foster learning through play for children aged six and under. The translated Sleepy Time Stories are designed to help little ones unwind after a busy day, making bedtime a soothing and educational experience.
Pierre Cloete, Commercial Director at BBC Studios in Africa, shared the inspiration behind this initiative: "To mark Heritage Month and celebrate the diversity of our nation, we wanted to highlight some of our African languages through our pre-school channel, CBeebies. By translating a selection of the Sleepy Time Stories into four languages, we hope to help our young viewers and their parents develop their language skills while enjoying these cherished tales throughout September."
The translated Sleepy Time Stories include:
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- The Elves and the Shoemaker (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- The Enormous Radish (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- The Fox and the Hen (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- The Magic Porridge Pot (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- The Ugly Duckling (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- Three Little Pigs (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Afrikaans)
- Bluey S2 Set 1 Episode 26: Sleepy Time (Isizulu only)
These episodes will also be available for streaming on the BBC Studios Africa YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bbcsouthafrica3616.
