Publishing in Africa has come a long way. From the 1940s through the 1970s, Africa was primarily a net importer of books. Over the past few decades, the terrain has gradually evolved so that most books consumed in Africa are developed and produced within the continent.
However, many publishers in Africa are still cautious in their publishing. Publishers prioritize immediate gains, which often lie in the publishing of school textbooks rather than general reading materials, creating an imbalance as learners have access to subject-specific textbooks, but little in terms of early grade reading materials. In turn, the lack of reading materials hampers the development of lifelong learning, which should be the bedrock of the knowledge economy
On June 8th the Global Book Alliance and the African Publishers Network hosted an Open Book Series webinar: Private Sector Book Publishing in Africa. A panel of expert publishers discussed challenges and opportunities in private sector publishing in Africa, and key themes such as access to books, language, copyright issues, book distribution, and the capacity-building of publishers.
With panelists:
