CBeebies’ Sleepy Time Stories to be dubbed to four African languages in September

BBC Studios is commemorating Heritage Month in September by translating seven Sleepy Time Stories on CBeebies into four African languages: isiZulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, and Afrikaans.

CBeebies is a pre-school channel for children aged six years and under. It provides a range of pre-school programming designed to encourage learning through play in a consistently safe environment.

Sleepy Time Stories, a soothing bedtime series, to help little ones unwind after a day of excitement and prepare for a peaceful night's sleep.

In a statement, Pierre Cloete, the commercial director at BBC Studios in Africa, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative.

"We wanted to celebrate the diversity of our nation by shining a spotlight on some of our African languages. By translating Sleepy Time Stories into four languages, we aim to help our young viewers and parents develop their language skills while enjoying the shows."

This innovative project promotes linguistic diversity and cultural heritage, making quality children's content accessible to a broader audience.

Only selected shows will be playing in the four South African languages.

The translated shows will be:

• Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• The Elves and the Shoemaker (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• The Enormous Radish (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• The Fox and the Hen (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• The Magic Porridge Pot (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• The Ugly Duckling (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• Three Little Pigs (Isizulu, Sesotho, Tsonga to Afrikaans)

• Bluey S2 Set 1 Episode 26: Sleepy Time (to only be translated to Isizulu)

The dubbed episodes will air daily on CBeebies (DStv channel 306) from September 2nd to 29th at 7pm.