South African writers struggling to market their books can find an online audience at ZABAZAAR on the www.madeinchatsworth.co.za e-commerce platform.
Publisher and social entrepreneur, Anivesh Singh, hatched the idea as the coronavirus regulations shut traditional ways of doing business. He pitched the concept to the national department of Arts and Culture which funded him to build a site to buy books from local writers for resale. The site features the work of a hundred South African writers and offers free delivery to anywhere in SA.
“In every crisis, we must inspire hope that things will get better,” said Singh who has earned a firm reputation as a niche heritage book publisher. His stable includes writers Zakhele Mazibuko, Elwyn Bonhomme, Matt Vend, Nivashni Nair and Kiru Naidoo among others. “By making the circle bigger, my business grows as I help other people grow ,” is the philosophical approach Singh takes.
During the national lockdown, Avinesh started an initiative whereby Durban-based Micromega Publications invited 14 homeless booksellers from the Booksellers of Mzansi project to sell their wares via their e-commerce site, which enabled the booksellers to raise R16 000.
Booksellers of Mzansi is a collaborative project by the Denis Hurley Centre and Micromega Publications that allows homeless people around Durban to sell second-hand books to earn an income.
You can read more about this initiative here.
Pictured left: Jay-Jae Bajabulile with Richard Nzima from the Booksellers of Mzansi. Picture supplied.
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