By 
The runaway success of The Polygamist on Netflix has reignited interest in Sue Nyathi’s bestselling novel, but copyright campaigners warn that the surge in popularity has also triggered widespread piracy, with readers increasingly accessing illegal PDF copies instead of purchasing the book.
Originally published in 2012, the novel has attracted a new audience following its adaptation for Netflix.
However, as interest grows, pirated digital copies are being widely circulated on social media platforms and WhatsApp, while counterfeit printed editions have surfaced in Kenya, raising fears that the problem could spread across the region.
Timeslive reports that Chairperson of the Copyright Coalition of South Africa and Partners Against Piracy (PAP) leader, Chola Makgamathe, said many people underestimate the damage caused by sharing unauthorised copies of books.
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“Simply put, sharing the PDF of The Polygamist, or any copyrighted work produced in print, digital or visual format, is theft, and every share causes incalculable damage to the African creative industry,” she said.
Makgamathe said writing a book required years of dedication and supports an entire value chain, including authors, editors, publishers, booksellers and marketers.
She said when readers opt for pirated copies, everyone involved in producing the book loses income.
She warned that piracy also threatened the future of African storytelling, as publishers and film producers often rely on book sales when deciding whether to invest in new titles or adapt novels for television and film.
“We want more African stories, and for that we need more authors and writers to be able to dedicate time to nurturing them. We need production companies and publishers to bring them to life. We need distributors to get them into stores and onto online platforms. We need publicity and marketing teams to raise awareness of them,” she said.
Makgamathe urged readers to support African writers by purchasing legitimate copies of their books rather than downloading or sharing pirated versions.
She said every illegal copy deprived creators and the wider publishing industry of revenue needed to produce more books, adding that consumers have a responsibility to help sustain African literature by paying for original works.
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