In early 2024, the British Council commissioned a study, Publishing Futures: A Study of the Publishing Landscapes in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, focused on the publishing landscape in African countries where the council operates. Findings from the research indicate that there are several successful trade publishing houses owned and managed by Africans. Some of these include amaBooks, Cassava Republic, impepho press, Inkani Books, Jacana Media, Masobe Books, Modjaji, Narrative Landscape Press, Noirledge, Ouida, Sevhage, and uhlanga, among others. This is a shift from the 1990s, when multinational publishing corporations and educational publishers dominated the market.
Few literary agents
In contrast to the publishing landscape in Europe, the majority of trade publishers in Africa are open to receiving manuscripts that are not represented by agents. Given that few literary agencies operate in the continent, debut authors who are initially published locally often assign their publishers world rights, so that the books can be sold abroad. Some of these publishers, including Masobe Books, Jacana Media, and Modjaji, have been successful in selling rights to publishers around the world, in various languages too.
Self-publishing has become a popular option for numerous authors in Africa and one of the most active routes to publishing literary works, our study shows. In the past, this type of publishing demanded significant financial investment; however, with the availability of digital technologies, pursuing the e-publishing path has become remarkably straightforward. Self-published writers typically fund the entire book production process themselves and often organize launches when the books are printed. These launches serve as revenue generating and marketing opportunities.
Publishing consultants
Our research also finds that publishing consultants are now actively providing services to authors who wish to invest in publishing their work without the involvement of an established publishing house. Many of these consultants, who are also printers, are able to offer personalized services to help both new and established authors achieve their book-publishing goals.
Our study indicates that there is a considerable demand for children’s literature in indigenous languages, whereas the interest in adult titles is comparatively lower. Moreover, the rising costs of raw materials and printing present a significant obstacle in the six countries analyzed.
Additionally, piracy continues to be a widespread problem, even with the presence of copyright laws in these nations. The study also offers a peek into the workforce development challenges African publishing entrepreneurs are facing and the strategies they are implementing to overcome them.
Open initiatives
At the moment, there is increasing interest and investment in the publishing sector in Africa from many organizations including the British Council. Initiatives, such as the $800,000 African Publishing Innovation Fund, have helped to strengthen the publishing ecosystem in Africa. Four publishers from Africa attended this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, courtesy of the Frankfurt Invitation Program. Storymoja Publishers (Kenya), Griots Lounge Publishing (Nigeria), Tracey McDonald Publishers (South Africa), and Mkuki na Nyota (Tanzania) all took part in the conference, enabling them to establish connections and learn more about the global book market.
In spite of the economic challenges that have affected consumer purchasing behaviors, indigenous trade publishers have managed to adapt. And with more support, the publishing sector can grow even further.
Anietie Isong is the author of Radio Sunrise and News at Noon. He holds a PhD in news media and writing. His research degree focused on the influence of digital technologies on African literature. A version of this story previously ran in the 2024 PW Frankfurt Show Daily.
