The lack of data for sub-Saharan Africa has been one of the gaps in global music body the IFPI’s annual Global Music Report, but the organisation is stepping up its activity in the region, having appointed Angela Ndambuki as its regional director there in July this year.
In an interview with Music in Africa, she has outlined her optimism for the future. “The sub-Saharan Africa recording industry is very promising. The market is developing albeit at a slow pace and varying levels from country to country,” she said. “The industry holds a big opportunity for growth, especially with online users, seeing that it holds a population of more than one billion – a potential market to tap into.”
The IFPI’s new office in Nairobi will be the centre of the body’s activities in the region. “Several challenges are affecting the industry such as issues of policy, licensing and content protection. But this is a real indication of the need to have an office that will serve these very needs and obtain market information that will inform strategies put in place to grow the industry,” said Ndambuki.
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