Africa needs to invest more in its writers and publishing industry if it is to produce its own knowledge and find solutions to its problems, Amb. Williams Nkurunziza has said.

Speaking at the Africa Writers Day celebration in Kigali on Saturday, November 7, the veteran diplomat and writer said the continent was spending heavily on books produced elsewhere while publishing fewer of its own.

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He said Africa published about 86,000 books in 2024, compared with between 400,000 and 470,000 in China. The United States published about 400,000, while the United Kingdom produced approximately 190,000.

No African country featured among the world’s 10 largest book-producing countries, he said.

On the continent, Egypt leads book production with about 27,000 titles annually, followed by Nigeria with 15,000 and South Africa with 10,000. Kenya is the leading publisher in East Africa, producing about 5,000 titles a year.

Nkurunziza said the figures show the need of writing and publishing in the development of societies. He noted that the world’s leading economies were also among the biggest producers of books.

"We cannot outsource our understanding to outsiders. Africa spends about $600 million annually importing books, yet that money could be invested in our own writers and publishers,” Nkurunziza said.

He traced the role of writing in the development of societies, noting that before the printing press emerged in the 15th century, knowledge was passed down through oral traditions and handwritten manuscripts. The invention of the printing press made it easier to share ideas across borders and reach wider audiences.

Nkurunziza discussed the influence of African writers such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, whose works inspired anti-colonial movements.

He referred to the scholarship that flourished in Timbuktu during the reign of Mansa Musa in Mali, illustrating the importance of writing and passing on knowledge in the development of societies.

Making writing a viable career

Olawale Okediran, Secretary General of the Pan-African Writers’ Association (PAWA), said African writers also needed better opportunities to earn a living from their work.

He said many young African writers are uncertain whether they could earn a living from writing, with questions about potential income often discouraging them from pursuing it as a career.

Okediran said African stories are increasingly being adapted into films, creating opportunities for writers to earn from their works. He said PAWA is organising a project to share films written and produced in African countries across the continent.

He called for more support for writing in indigenous languages, saying African literature should not be limited to languages inherited from colonial rule.

"Authors lose income when their books are photocopied without payment. PAWA is therefore advocating for the recognition of reproductive rights, which would allow authors to earn from the reproduction of their works, including photocopying in educational institutions,” Okediran said.

He stated that African governments should support writers and the publishing industry, saying writing could become a viable commercial venture if authors were given the right opportunities.

Richard Hategekimana, Chairman of the Rwanda Books Industry Association, noted that publishing should be treated as an economic activity that creates jobs, supports education and contributes to the creative economy.

"The African book industry must move from being viewed primarily as an educational activity to being organised as a strategic economic sector,” he said.

Hategekimana highlighted the need for African publishers to collaborate across national markets, making it easier for books, knowledge and ideas to cross borders and reach readers across the continent.