About us

Who we are

African Books Collective (ABC) is an African owned, worldwide marketing and distribution outlet for books from Africa  - scholarly, literature and children's books. We also run the website readafricanbooks.com which profiles the work of African publishers and books.

ABC is a collective owned by its founder publishers. The founder publishers elect a five-member Council of Management which meets annually. The Council of Management is responsible for setting the collective’s strategy and for its representation in the wider book and publishing world.

ABC is a UK-registered not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. It has two UK non-executive directors who are legally responsible for the company. ABC seeks to be profit making on behalf of its publishers, and is non-profit making on its own behalf.

History

In 1985 a group of publishers met to address the constraints they were experiencing in marketing and distributing their books outside of their domestic markets. They founded ABC as a collective self-help initiative to strengthen their economic base and meet the needs of libraries and other book buyers. With initial support from funding agencies, trading began in 1989.

Major remodelling of the collective took place in 2007, when it became self-financing. New opportunities afforded by the evolution of digital publishing and electronic books were seized upon with ABC playing a key role in the digitisation of African cultural output. Whilst adapting to changing markets and methodologies, ABC's founding ethos and aims remain unchanged and ABC remains a not-for-profit organisation on its own behalf.

ABC Participating Publishers

 

Botswana

• Lightbooks Publishers, Gaborone

Cameroon

• Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group, Bamenda
• Muntu Institute Press. Yaounde
  
• Spears Media Press, Bamenda
  

Ethiopia

• Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa

• Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), Addis Ababa

• Shama Books, Addis Ababa
  

The Gambia

• Educational Services, Serekunda

Ghana

• Afram Publications (Ghana) Ltd, Accra
• Amanza, Accra
• Educatioanal Logistics, Accra
  
• Freedom Publications, Accra
• Ghana Universities Press, Accra
• Sub-Saharan Publishers, Accra
• United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources, Accra
  
• Woeli Publishing Services, Accra

Kenya

• Bookmark Africa, Nairobi
  
• East African Educational Publishers, Nairobi
• Focus Publications, Nairobi
• University of Nairobi Press, Nairobi
• LawAfrica, Nairobi
• Longhorn Publishers, Nairobi
• Mau Mau Research Centre (MMRC), Nairobi, Kenya
• Mdahalo Bridging Divides, Nairobi
  
• Syokimau Cultural Centre, Nairobi
  
• Twaweza Communications, Nairobi
• Vita Books, Nairobi
  
• Zand Graphics, Nairobi
• Zapf Chancery Publications Africa, Limuru

Liberia

• Cotton Tree Press, Monrovia

Malawi

• Kachere Series, Zomba
• Logos – Open Culture, Lilongwe
  
• Luviri Press, Mzuzu
  
• Mzuni Press, Mzuzu
  

Mali Republic

• Editions Yeelen
  

Mauritius

• University of Mauritius Press, Réduit
  

Morocco

• Editions du Sirocco, Casablanca
  
• Senso Unico Editions, Mohammedia

Namibia

• The Basler Afrika Bibliographien
  
• University of Namibia Press, Windhoek

Nigeria

• African Heritage Press, Lagos
• The Book Company Ltd., Lagos
• Bookbuilders: Editions Africa, Ibadan
  
• CSS Ltd, Lagos
• Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd., Enugu
• FrontPage Media, Lagos
  
• Handel Books, Eastern Nigeria
  
• HEBN (Nigeria) plc, Ibadan
• Ibadan University Press, Ibadan

• Kraft Publications, Lagos

• Kwara State University Press, Malete
• Maiyati Chambers, Lagos
• Malthouse Press Ltd., Lagos
• M & J Grand Orbit Communications, Port Harcourt
  
• Onyoma Research Publications, Port Harcourt
• Safari Books, Ibadan
  
• Saros International Publishers, Port Harcourt
• SCRIBIO Publications, Ibadan
• Spectrum Books Ltd., Ibadan
• University of Lagos Press, Lagos
• University Press Ltd., Ibadan
• Urhobo Historical Society, New York & Lagos

Senegal

• Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar

Somaliland

South Africa

• Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria
• African Minds Publishers, Cape Town
  
• African Perspectives, Johannesburg
• The African Public Policy and Research Institute, Pretoria
• Afro-Middle East Centre, Johannesburg
  
• Agency for Social Reconstruction, Johannesburg
• Bhiyoza Publishers, Ennerdale
• Botsotso Publishing, Braamfontein
  
• Cover2Cover Books, Muizenberg
• Deep South, Makhanda
  
• Dryad Press, Cape Town
  
• impepho press, Tshwane
  
• Modjaji Books, Cape Town
• The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), Johannesburg
• NISC (Pty) Ltd, Grahamstown
  
• Southern African Migration Program, Cape Town
  
• Umsinsi Press, Cape Town
• uHanga Poetry Press, Cape Town
  
• University of South Africa Press (Unisa Press), Pretoria

Tanzania

• Dar es Salaam University Press, Dar es Salaam
• E & D Ltd., Dar es Salaam
• Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Dar es Salaam
• Tanzania Educational Publishers, Bukoba
  
• Tanzania Publishing House, Dar es Salaam

Uganda

• Fountain Publishers Ltd., Kampala
• FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers’ Association), Kampala
  
• Pelican Publishers, Kampala
• Progressive Publishing House, Kampala
• Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of
  Africa, Kampala
  

Zambia

• Bookworld Publishers, Lusaka
• Gadsden Publishers, Lusaka
  
• Image Publishers, Lusaka
• The Lembani Trust, Zambia, Lusaka
  

Zimbabwe

• Africa Talent Publishers, Masvingo
  
• amabooks, Bulawayo
• Amagugu Publishers, Bulawayo
  
• Booklove Publishers, Gweru
  
• GALZ, Harare
  
• Mambo Press, Gweru
• Mwanaka Media and Publishing Pvt Ltd, Chitungwiza
  
• Weaver Press Ltd, Harare
• Zimbabwe Publishing House, Harare