The 194 member states’ union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has launched the first-ever comprehensive mapping of Africa’s book industry, revealing a sector brimming with untapped potential.
This new report is part of a broader effort initiated by UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, to support and promote creative industries in Africa. This new report adds to previous publications on African Fashion (2023) and African film industry (2021).
These new insights will enable solutions to be developed that are tailored to the needs of UNESCO’s African member states, particularly under its Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which marks its 20th anniversary this year.
In the new report unveiled last week, the organisation outlined a roadmap to transform the continent’s publishing industry, with projected revenues of up to US$18.5 billion if key reforms are implemented.
It noted that while the continent is home to just one bookshop per 116,000 people and one public library per 189,000 inhabitants, digital platforms are playing a transformative role in expanding access – Snapplify and Akoobooks, for example, offer e-books, audiobooks, and online sales, overcoming geographical and infrastructure limitations.
It said that major African authors are gaining new recognition on the global stage. Only in 2021, all the major literary awards went to writers from the continent: the Nobel Prize for Literature to Abdulrazak Gurnah from Tanzania, the Prix Goncourt awarded to Mohamed Mbougar Sarr of Senegal, and the Booker Prize won by Damon Galgut from South Africa.
According to Azoulay, this new UNESCO report demonstrates the need to strengthen public policies for books and reading so that African stories can be written, published and read. Investments are therefore needed to propel the continent in the wake of its great authors and talents.
Entitled, The African Book Industry: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities For Growth, extensive UNESCO analysis shows that the continent holds all the means to develop a lucrative and job-creating sector.
The continent’s literary vibrancy is also reflected in its dynamic calendar of book fairs and festivals. With over 270 events held yearly, backed notably by a continent-wide network of over 200 professional associations, these gatherings are not only cultural milestones but also vital platforms for industry development and public engagement.
UNESCO has actively supported several of these initiatives, including the designation of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) in 2014, Conakry (Guinea) in 2017, Accra (Ghana) in 2023 and Rabat (Morocco) for 2026 as World Book Capitals or the inclusion of Creative Cities of Literature in UNESCO’s global network.
These programmes have helped galvanise national reading campaigns, strengthen local publishing ecosystems, and promote access to books for young readers.
Africa’s book industry is underrepresented on the global stage, accounting for only 5.4 per cent of global publishing revenue. Africa’s book industry faces a significant trade deficit. In 2023, the continent imported books worth an estimated $597 million while exporting books to the value of $81 million. The report also reveals that 90 per cent of African countries still lack specific legislation to support the book industry beyond basic copyright and legal deposit laws.
However, the sector holds immense potential; with projected revenue of $18.5 billion should appropriate measures and policies be put in place. Major economic possibility lies in Africa’s lucrative educational publishing sector, comprising approximately 70 per cent of the global market.
UNESCO’s report highlights three key interventions, which governments and decision makers can make to transform the sector:
Strengthen legal and institutional frameworks: By developing and implementing book legislations, modernising copyright laws and strengthening enforcement, establishing national book development councils and creating domestic ISBN agencies.
Build a strong domestic market: By integrating the book sector into national industrial development strategies, expanding financial mechanisms, prioritising local publishers and content in new textbook procurement policies, introducing export incentives and overseeing foreign investment.
Expanding readership and access: By investing in public library infrastructure, supporting digital publishing platforms, launching national reading campaigns and conducting regular national book reading surveys to generate data.
