The African Publishing Market Is Growing at 18% YoY — What It Means for Authors

The African digital publishing market grew 18% year-over-year in 2025, driven by rising smartphone penetration, mobile payment adoption, and a growing diaspora audience hungry for authentic stories.

Key findings:

• Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa lead in both production and consumption. • Self-published authors now account for 42% of all new titles on major platforms. • Audiobook consumption grew 67% — the fastest-growing format. • Subscription models (like MyScriptic) now represent 28% of total digital book revenue in the region.

For authors, this means the opportunity has never been larger. The audience is growing, payment infrastructure is maturing, and platforms are investing in discovery and recommendation engines that surface new voices.

We'll publish a deeper analysis with country-by-country breakdowns next month.