The International African Institute (IAI) in association with the African Books Collective (ABC) have compiled a comprehensive, freely-accessible database of publishers based on the continent. Writers are always seeking out publishers for their work. So, we are happy to share this resource.

The database is the first of its kind and aims to serve as “a resource for authors and publishers of books on African topics and countries to locate possible co-publishers for their work in the African continent.”

The names, address and contact details of over 196 publishers from across the continent are contained within for easy and reliable access. Users can search by country, publisher name, language, type of publisher, or subject discipline. The list covers a wide range of countries, from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya to Madagascar, Malawi, Tunisia, Togo, and many more others. There are also presses that publish in African languages.

It says on the website that:

Users can sort the database and search by country (field B), Publisher name (field A), language (field C), type of publisher (scholarly/academic/literary) (field D), or subject discipline (field G). Full contact details and further information are provided for the Publisher where publicly available. We are aware this list will not be comprehensive. Whilst selected publishers in languages other than English (e.g. French, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili and other African languages) have been added, it may be that not all publishers listed here are fully active. The IAI will maintain this resource and would be pleased to hear about additional suitable African Publishers for addition. Please contact 

This is a commendable effort on the part of IAI and ABC to collect this information and make available for free. It is great for writers seeking to publish their work on the continent. It also a small win for lovers of African literature who want to source for books from African publishers. Access the African Publishers Database here.