Uniquely positioned for this venture, Berg + Bach are Dutch-based digital-publishing specialists with global publishing reach as well as strong ties to the South African publishing industry. "We thought World Book Day South Africa, a day where the culture of reading is encouraged, would be the perfect time to launch AfriBooks," says Miriam Hainebach, creative director and co-founder of Berg + Bach.
For the venture, it has collaborated with independent South African publishers Burnet Media, known for its bestsellers, '50 People Who Stuffed Up South Africa' and 'The Racist's Guide To The People of South Africa', both of which are available for the first time in e-format on AfriBooks. Together, the companies aim to make irreverent and entertaining South African books accessible to anyone with a tablet or e-reader.
"Digital publishing in South Africa is in something of a no-man's land at the moment," explains Tim Richman, MD of Burnet Media. "There is a steadily increasing market, but it appears to be more interested in buying international titles rather than local. We believe this offers a great opportunity to take easily accessible, well-priced content to a wider audience, both within South Africa and abroad."
The AfriBooks library container app is free to download from iTunes or Google Play. Launch prices will vary from R45 to R80. New titles will be added to the AfriBooks container each month, varying from recent bestsellers to niche titles to novels that have gone out-of-print.
