Report: Billions still lost in Kenya’s creative industries
By Sinda MatikoThe International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) estimates that over 70 percent of digital content in Africa is pirated, with Kenya being one of the worst affected countries.
The IIPA notes that the creative industries in Africa have shown tremendous potential in recent years, driven by the growing popularity of African music, films, and other forms of digital content both within the continent and internationally.
In Kenya, the creative sectors of music, film, and fashion have flourished as part of a broader digital economy, contributing to the national GDP, creating jobs, and providing new opportunities for the youth. But piracy is undermining this growth. Illegal reproduction and distribution of creative content have become rampant across the country, resulting in significant revenue losses for creators and content distributors.
According to the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), piracy costs the Kenyan music industry an estimated KSh 2 billion ($18 million) in lost revenue annually. The rapid proliferation of mobile applications, peer-to-peer sharing, and free download websites has made music piracy a systemic problem in the country.
Meanwhile, the film and television industry, popularly known as Riverwood, loses an estimated KSh3 billion ($27 million) annually to piracy, according to the Kenya Film Commission.
The loss is largely attributed to illegal downloads, DVD duplication, and unauthorized streaming services, which have reduced the profitability of local productions, affecting not only filmmakers but also actors, crew members, and related businesses.
Piracy also has a significant impact on Kenya’s publishing industry, particularly the academic publishing sector. Unauthorized copying of books and educational materials, whether in physical form or through illegal PDFs and e-books, is rampant.
The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) estimates that the industry loses over KSh 1 billion ($9 million) a year to book piracy. This not only impacts publishers but also authors, educational institutions, and the quality of education in the country.