The State of Publishing in East Africa

• Published in: Logos (London, England) Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 23 - 30
• Main Author: Kamau, Kiarie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brill Academic Publishers, Inc 01.01.2015
• Edition: Leiden
• Subjects: Funding; Publishing industry; Textbooks; East Africa
• ISSN: 0957-9656; 0957-9656; 1878-4712
• DOI: 10.1163/1878-4712-11112080

The main aim of this paper is to examine the state of publishing in East Africa. It also attempts to review the situation in Malawi and Zambia, where the author has had practical experience in publishing and marketing. The paper focuses on the growth of the publishing industry in the East African region and how this growth has impacted on access to textbooks and trade publications. It demonstrates that there has been significant growth in the industry, especially in Kenya and Uganda. However, this growth has largely been in the area of publishing of textbooks. Funding for the rollout of curricula in the East African countries has been a blessing to publishers because the funding includes allocations for textbook purchases for both primary and secondary schools. However, this kind of publishing has sounded something of a death knell for the publication of general books such as novels and biographies. The paper also demonstrates that indigenous book-publishing firms have gained a stronger foothold in East Africa in the last ten years and edged out the multinationals. It concludes by indicating that unless the publishing model changes, general publishing will continue to be relegated to the back-burner. At the same time, publishers are challenged to embrace digital publishing, since that is where the future of publishing lies.