How politics is shaking up the book industry
How politics is shaking up the book industry
South Africa's book industry has gained traction on the back of a bumper political year and the trend is expected to continue as the 2019 national elections approach. The industry had an estimated total income of R3.2-billion in 2016, an increase of 17% on the previous year, with most of the value coming from educational publishing. There are about 150 publishing companies in South Africa, ranging from educational to trade and academic publishing. Trade or commercial publishing, which covers fiction and nonfiction books, saw income grow by 7% in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to the 2016 Annual Publishing Survey released in January by the Publishers Association of South Africa. Most local publishers say growth has been steady in the past five years, but last year the momentum accelerated, providing opportunities for them to keep developing books relevant to current affairs in South Africa. Jacana Media, which aims to cater to the emerging tastes of local readers, said...
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