Citing figures that show only 14 percent of South Africans reading books, the South African Book Fair and indigenous language festivals address the issue.
‘Women at the Forefront’: Three Interviews From PublisHer at Nairobi
The second international event in the PublisHer series featured performance, discussion, and networking at the International Publishers Association’s ‘Africa Rising’ seminar in Nairobi.
Quantifying Markets: Nielsen’s Andre Breedt on Industry Research in Africa
Currently, Nielsen Book tracks books sales data in one African country, but Andre Breedt says there are plans to expand sales tracking across the continent.
South Africa’s Puku Foundation: Children’s Books To Save Languages
Delegates to the IPA Nairobi seminar will hear about the work of Puku, a foundation rushing to generate children’s books in endangered African languages.
Copyright Clearance Center’s Michael Healy: South Africa’s Copyright Bill
The Copyright Amendment Bill currently in preparation in South Africa, says Copyright Clearance Center’s Michael Healy, could well be as damaging as Canada’s Copyright Modernization Act has been.
PEN Afrikaans, Authors Forum, Outline Objections to South Africa’s Copyright Bill
PEN Afrikaans, like the International Authors Forum, echoes the International Publishers Association in criticizing South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill.
IPA Warns South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill Conflicts with Berne
Another copyright ‘modernization’ battle appears to be shaping up–not unlike the protracted crisis in Canada–as the IPA raises concerns over a new bill.
South Africa’s Snapplify and Econet Wireless Announce Partnership for Digital Reading in Africa
With more than 240,000 titles, the South African ed-tech company Snapplify is working with communications provider Econet to make ebooks available to more African readers.
PEN Afrikaans Translation Fund Is Open, Two Deadlines This Year
Established in June 2017, the new PEN Afrikaans Translation Fund supports international publishers who successfully apply for grants to fund translation of Afrikaans works into other languages.
In South Africa, Jacana Media’s New Imprint Invests in Diverse, Local Fiction
To counter the dominance of international fiction in South Africa, Jacana Media’s imprint Storied is raising money to publish and promote diverse, local fiction authors.