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 three UK 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. While 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

• Foundation for Education with Production, Gaborone
• Lightbooks Publishers, Gaborone

Cameroon

• Bakwa Books, Yaounde
• Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group, Bamenda
• Muntu Institute Press. Yaounde
  
• Peacock Writers Series, Douala
  
• Spears Media Press, Bamenda
  

Ethiopia

• Forum for Social Studies, Addis Ababa
• Shama Books, Addis Ababa
  

The Gambia

• Centre for Media and Development Research in Africa (CENMEDRA), Bakau
• Educational Services, Serekunda
• Sunrise Publishers, Banjul
  

Ghana

• Afram Publications (Ghana) Ltd, Accra
• Africa Christian Press, Accra
  
• Amanza, Accra
• Asdan Vision Books, Accra
  
• Educatioanal Logistics, Accra
  
• Freedom Publications, Accra
• Ghana Universities Press, Accra
• Smartline Limted, 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
• Marimba Publications, Nairobi
• Mdahalo Bridging Divides, Nairobi
• Moran Publishers, Nairobi
  
• Mystery Publishers, Nakuru
  
• Nala Feminist Collective, 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
• Livingstonia Press, Mzuzu
• Luviri Press, Mzuzu
• Montfort Media, Balaka
  
• Mzuni Press, Mzuzu
• TSM Press, Zomba
  

Mauritius

• Editions Vizavi, Port Louis
• University of Mauritius Press, Réduit
  

Morocco

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

Namibia

• The Basler Afrika Bibliographien
• Reader in Namibian Sociology
  
• University of Namibia Press, Windhoek

Nigeria

• African Heritage Press, Lagos
• Alpha Crownes Publishing, Lagos
• Baron's Cafe, Lagos
  
• Bayero University Press, Kano
  
• The Book Company Ltd., Lagos
• Bookbuilders: Editions Africa, Ibadan
  
• CSS Ltd, Lagos
• Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd., Enugu
• Frontier Press, Lagos
  
• FrontPage Media, Lagos
• Graduke Publishers, Ibadan
  
• Handel Books, Eastern Nigeria
  

• HEBN (Nigeria) plc, Ibadan

• Human Change Communications Company, Lagos
  

• Ibadan Cultural Studies Group, Ibadan

• Ibadan University Press, Ibadan

• Impeccable Publications
• Kemuela Publications, Port Harcourt
  
• Kraft Publications
  
• Kwara State University Press, Malete
• Maiyati Chambers, Lagos
• Malthouse Press Ltd., Lagos
• M & J Grand Orbit Communications, Port Harcourt
• New Horn Press Ltd, Ibadan
  
• Onyoma Research Publications, Port Harcourt
• Paclerd Press Ltd, Benin City
• Palmwine Publishing, Plateau State
  
• Pekan Publishers Ltd, Owerri
  
• Reamsworth Publishing, Ibadan
• Safari Books, Ibadan
  
• Saros International Publishers, Port Harcourt
• SCRIBIO Publications, Ibadan
• Spectrum Books Ltd., Ibadan
• University Press, Ibadan
• Urhobo Historical Society, New York & Lagos

Rwanda

Senegal

• Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar
• Union for African Population Studies, Dakar-Ponty
  

Somaliland

South Africa

• 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
• Crane River, Cape Town
• Deep South, Makhanda
• Disability Innovations Africa, Cape Town
  
• Dryad Press, Cape Town
• Gender Links, South Africa
  
• impepho press, Tshwane
  
• Hands-On Books, Cape Town
• Institute for Demcoracy in South Africa (IDASA), Cape Town
  
• Institute for Preservation and Development, Pretoria
• Mail & Guardian, Cape Town
  
• MaThoko's Books, Johannesburg
• Modjaji Books, Cape Town
• The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), Johannesburg
• Mvusi Books, Makhanda
• Natal Society Foundation Trust, Pietermaritzburg
  
• NISC (Pty) Ltd, Grahamstown
• Short Story Day Africa, Cape Town
• Skeelo Khumalo, Welkom
  
• South African Association of Public Administration and Management, Pretoria
• Southern African Migration Program, Cape Town
• TNG Publishing, Pietermaritzburg
  
• Umsinsi Press, Cape Town
• uHanga Poetry Press, Cape Town
• Wobblingearth, Durban
  

Sudan

• Andariya, Khartoum
  

Swaziland

Tanzania

• Dar es Salaam University Press, Dar es Salaam
• FGD Tanzania, Dar es Salaam
  
• Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Dar es Salaam
• Tanzania Educational Publishers, Bukoba
  
• Tanzania Publishing House, Dar es Salaam

Uganda

• Andariya, Kampala
• Asante Capital Hub, Kampala
• Driberg Books Limited, Kampala
  
• Fountain Publishers Ltd., Kampala
• FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers’ Association), Kampala
  
• Pelican Publishers, Kampala
• Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, Kampala
• Uganda Martyrs University Book Series, Nkozi
  

Zambia

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

Zimbabwe

• Africa Talent Publishers, Masvingo
  
• amabooks, Bulawayo
• Amagugu Publishers, Bulawayo
  
• Booklove Publishers, Gweru
  
• GALZ, Harare
• Joyce Jenje Makwenda Collection Archive, Harare
  
• Legal Resources Foundation, Harare
  
• Mwanaka Media and Publishing Pvt Ltd, Chitungwiza
• Pigeon Press, Bulawayo
• Southern Africa Printing & Publishing House, Harare
• Southern African Research & Documentation Centre, Harare
  
• Southern and Eastern African Trade, Information and Negotiations Institute, Harare
• Storytime Promotions, Harare
  
• University of Zimbabwe Press, Mount Pleasant
  
• Weaver Press Ltd, Harare
• Zimbabwe Publishing House, Harare

• Bellagio Publishing Network, UK
• Cissus World Press, USA
• eSwatini, UK
  
• MeaBooks Inc, Canada
• Suba Publishing, UK
  
• Yintab Books (Nigeria), USA