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.
Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General
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.
Emerging Literary Talent and Markets
Major African authors are gaining new recognition on the global stage. 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.
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.
A Flourishing Festival Landscape
The continent's literary vibrancy is also reflected in its dynamic calendar of book fairs and festivals. With over 270 events held annually, 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 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 galvanize national reading campaigns, strengthen local publishing ecosystems, and promote access to books for young readers.
How to harness untapped potential
Africa's book industry is underrepresented on the global stage, accounting for only 5.4% of global publishing revenue. Africa's book industry faces a significant trade deficit. In 2023, the continent imported books worth an estimated US$597 million while exporting books to the value of US$81 million. The report also reveals that 90% 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 a projected revenue of US$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% 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, modernizing 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, prioritizing local publishers and content in new textbook procurement policies, introducing export incentives and overseeing foreign investment;
Expand 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.
Developing and promoting African creative industries
This new report is part of a broader effort initiated by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, to support and promote creative industries in Africa, with previous publications on the 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.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
