President’s report 2016/17

At the nineteenth Annual General Meetings of the SA Booksellers Association the discussions and deliberations were very fruitful for booksellers. We discussed issues aimed at improving structural economic distortions that restrain the sustainable growth of bookselling in our country. Whilst this remains an important component of commerce and industry, naturally, it is our responsibility to continue to try and deliver real benefit to our membership.

Text book budgets have increased greatly but sadly, Education Departments have opted in most of the provinces to procure via managing agents and thereby ruling out the bookshops. Some regions are even forcing section 21 schools to purchase from the appointed managing agent.

National Treasury
The sustainability of bookshop survival depends on government support and to this end our lengthy meetings with treasury representatives last year looked positive. This process has now reached a stalemate with Department of Education (DOE) not supporting treasury recommendations and I believe we will have to bide our time and await future developments.

Cape Town Book Sale
The Cape Town Book Sale, a brain child of the Cape members and supported by the SA Booksellers Association , has been well supported by the trade as well as the public. It was a well advertised event and indications are that it was a success.

Booksellers On-Line Course
We are pleased to report that rapid progress is being made with the development of the On Line Training Course. Four modules have been written and are in the process of being converted into the on-line format and six more should be complete by the end of December. More details about the training programme will be available from Olinka Nel and the team.

Code of Ethics and Constitution
Mahomed Kharwa was tasked with proposals for the amendment to the Constitution. I know, at present he is busy urging members to comment on some of the proposed amendments. On the Code of ethics, Melvin Kaabwe, Kharwa and Riaz Hassim have agreed to present changes going forward. One of the key points is that members must not bring the Association into disrepute.

The Copyright Bill
The erosion of copyright is perhaps the greatest threat facing the educational and academic booksellers at present. Peter Adams and Hassim did a submission to Department of trade and Industry (DTI) regarding copyright and how it will affect the book industry. Kaabwe has attended the Copyright Bill public hearings in parliament and perhaps will brief us of the latest developments.

South African Book Development Council
We are a founding member of the organisation. Kaabwe, Samantha Faure and I attend SABDC meetings. The SABDC did a follow up of the Book Reading Survey of 2006 and sadly the findings do not show a huge increase in the number of adult South Africans that read on a regular basis. That number in fact has dropped from 58% to 47% in 2016. Newspapers still make up the largest portion of reading material and only one third, 34% claim to be reading books in a printed form.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to the following who served on the SABA executive the last year, so admirably:

• Vice Presidents – Mohamed Kharwa(Chair: Academic) and Melvin Kaabwe(Chair: Digital )
• Honorary Secretary- Peter Adams
• Treasurer – Hentie Gericke(Chair: Education and Southern Region)
• General Trade – (Chair: Olinka Nell)
• Library – (Chair: Richard Hargraves)
• Eastern Region – (Chair: Sydwell Molosi)
• Northern Region – (Chair: Riaz Hassim)
• National Office Manager – Samantha Faure
• And myself as President and Chair of the Central Region

The Association notes its appreciation and gratitude to all individuals who have given so much of their time to assist in the interests of the book industry. I want to place on record our thanks to Samantha and Maureen Hargraves for arranging the annual conference again, this year. On a sad note, Samantha will be leaving SA Booksellers Association in August to pursue another career. All of us will miss her and I want to thank her for her time with SA Booksellers Association and wish her well and success in her future endeavours.
Hentie Gerricke, our faithful Treasurer for many years has decided not to make himself available for the coming year as the financial man. I am pleased to announce that Jonathan Ferreira from Caxton Books has agreed to serve as Treasurer and I am sure there will be no downgrades to junk status. I am certain he will serve SA Booksellers for years to come and wish him well and also welcome him to the exco.
I wish to thank you for your support and guidance and reiterate that my job as president is made a lot easier working with an excellent executive committee team.

Guru Redhi
President : SA Booksellers Association
Coastlands Hotel – Durban : August 2017