Startup Picnic Venture Studio Launches 5 Million African Books By 2030 Campaign To Transform African Publishing #5mab

A high-impact campaign to help African authors sell more books, unlock intellectual property, and build a bigger, more connected publishing market.

Startup Picnic Venture Studio has launched “5 Million African Books by 2030”, a campaign to help African authors sell five million books by 2030 while building the technology, market access and commercial infrastructure to grow African publishing and take African intellectual property to markets across Africa and the world.

The initiative brings together the venture studio’s technology startup iZwily, Bula Buka Publishers and AfricArts Expo, a Dubai-based creative agency with representation in France and South Africa, inviting readers, authors, publishers, bookstores, corporates, institutions and foundations to participate. Those interested in joining or supporting the campaign can sign up here.

The campaign goes beyond promoting literature or reading. It aims to grow the market for African-authored books, create more opportunities for authors to earn from their work, and strengthen the businesses and infrastructure that connect books to paying readers—building a bigger, more connected and commercially sustainable market with global reach.

A market opportunity in plain sight

Startup Picnic Venture Studio sees significant opportunity in the gaps of African publishing. The founders claim that a substantial portion of the African book market sits outside conventional systems. Based on their publishing experience, they estimate that more than 60% of books sold through established South African bookstores are by non-African authors—an informed industry observation rather than a verified market-wide statistic. 

The founders also believe millions of books are sold annually outside formal bookstores across Southern Africa. For context, they note that South African bookstores alone sold approximately seven million physical books in 2024, yet substantial additional book-selling activity takes place outside established retail channels through direct author sales, events, businesses, churches, WhatsApp and social media—fragmented activity they say is disconnected from formal infrastructure.

“Our experience points to a substantial book market beyond traditional bookstores.” Authors already sell through their own networks yet lack access to retail infrastructure for reasons we are trying to solve via our business models. Connecting these activities to better technology, distribution, retail access and commercial infrastructure could make the market exponentially bigger, beyond the continent,” says Tiisetso Maloma, founder of Startup Picnic Venture Studio. He adds that bookstore placement also provides visible proof of viability that can open doors to new territories and larger opportunities.

The campaign seeks to bring more African-authored books into established bookstores, online platforms, corporate and institutional channels, and direct-to-reader markets.

The challenge: reaching paying readers

Thousands of Africans write books, yet many struggle to turn manuscripts into finished products and reach paying readers. Editing, design, printing, pricing, distribution, bookstore access and marketing remain significant barriers. The campaign aims to address these challenges through practical support, technology, commercial infrastructure and market access.

From manuscript to market

Practical initiatives will support authors and publishers from manuscript development to commercial sales. These may include author workshops, publishing and bookstore-readiness support, access to publishing and distribution services, book-buying campaigns, and opportunities for businesses and institutions to sponsor books, support emerging authors or provide assistance. The initiative will also explore grants, vouchers and partnerships that reduce barriers and connect more African-authored books with paying readers. Startup Picnic Academy will help coordinate these activities and programmes.

One book can become many products

African books represent intellectual property that can generate value through films, television series, documentaries, games and merchandise. International examples include The Godfather, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. African examples include The Polygamist (Netflix) by Sue Nyathi; The Wife (Showmax); Red Ink by Angela Makholwa; Tsotsi by Athol Fugard; Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala; and Happiness Is a Four-Letter Word by Nozizwe Cynthia Jele. These adaptations demonstrate the potential for African stories to reach audiences well beyond the book market.

Businesses and institutions have a role

The campaign invites authors, publishers, bookstores, businesses, foundations, institutions, investors and readers to participate in growing the African book market. Opportunities include bulk book purchases, sponsorships, author development, market access and partnerships through Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD), corporate social investment (CSI) and grant programmes. The ambition is to connect African authors with readers across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi and other African countries, while expanding their reach to international markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Five million books is an ambitious target, but the opportunity is much bigger. We want more African authors to earn from their work, more publishing businesses to grow and more African intellectual property to reach global markets,” says Maloma.

Measuring the impact

The primary target is five million verified paid book units sold by 31 December 2030. A progress dashboard is being built by iZwily. The campaign does not promise publication, placement or sales for every participant. Its focus is building the conditions that enable more African-authored books to reach paying readers and create sustainable commercial opportunities with partners.

The founders: Technology and publishing working together

iZwily is a portfolio technology venture of Startup Picnic Venture Studio, a venture builder that creates and develop startups by combining ideas, expertise, technology and resources. iZwily is developing an AI-powered publishing operating system and marketplace with integrated publishing, rights, royalties, inventory and distribution capabilities. 

Bula Buka Publishers contributes publishing, printing, advisory and distribution experience. It helped pioneer South Africa’s diary chronicles genre, which emerged around 2013–2014, through titles such as Diary of a Side Chick Makhwapheni by Lesego Maake, Diary of a Zulu Girl by Mike Maphoto, and Diary of a Cheating Wife by Londiwe Xaba and Siphelele Masango. Its books have reached readers through Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, Takealot, Amazon, Van Schaik and independent bookstores across Southern Africa.

Tiisetso Maloma is an entrepreneur, author and product creator who founded both Startup Picnic Venture Studio and Bula Buka Publishers. He has authored more than ten books, including The Anxious Entrepreneur, Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism, Innovate The Next and Future of Township Economies.

Africarts Expo, founded by South African entrepreneur Phumzile Tony Montalvo, is a Dubai-based creative agency with representation in France and South Africa, connecting African creativity, culture and artistry with global audiences.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT. 5 MILLION BOOKS FOR AFRICAN AUTHORS. BY 2030.

Campaign page: startuppicnic.co.za/books2023