Cambridge University Press

The African Branch of Cambridge University Press, based in Cape Town, is responsible for all countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to its marketing responsibilities, the Branch is pursuing a wide range of publishing activities in East, West, Central and Southern Africa, the main thrust of which is aimed at the school market.

Our energetic local publishing programme has published several thousand titles by African authors since the establishment of the Branch in 1995. Some of our most recognised brands include Study & Master, Ken & Verstaan, The Little Library, Rainbow Reading, Stay Tuned and Keys to Learning.

In South Africa, we publish titles in all 11 official languages, and we also pursue an extensive programme of mother tongue (main language) publishing for countries across the continent, producing titles in over 34 local African languages under joint imprint with local agents in each country.

Infrastructure

Cambridge University Press employs some 1,880 people worldwide and has 54 employees in its African Branch, as well as over 250 freelancers who are used regularly for marketing, editing, designing and illustration. An international organisation with branches, offices and agents throughout the world, we are able to draw on a remarkable range of authors (currently around 36,000 from 120 different countries) and to market and distribute material (both print and electronic) to readers everywhere. Our 1,880 staff in fifty-three offices service an inventory of 34,000 in-print titles, growing at a rate of 2,800 new ISBNs per year, and a stockholding of 20m units in nine warehouses around the world.

Corporate Social Investment and Empowerment Profile

In 2009, we concluded a Black Economic Empowerment deal with CIDA Empowerment Fund (CEF), which acquired a 25.1% stake in our South African operation. The sole objective of CEF is to secure a sustainable source of annuity funding for the delivery of quality education to economically and socially disadvantaged black South Africans through the CIDA Education Group.

The CIDA Education Group is a group of integrated higher education entities which includes CIDA City Campus and the CIDA-Branson School of Entrepreneurship. These entities provide financially disadvantaged black South African youth with virtually free, relevant, quality tertiary education in business and entrepreneurship.

The African Branch is also involved in several Corporate Social Investment initiatives within Africa, either directly or in partnership with other organisations such as Rally to Read.

View a short film about the work and world of Cambridge University Press

Released in September 2010 and produced by Mainsail Media, the film showcases every aspect of the Press endeavors, from traditional publishing through to digital innovation and community involvement, and it provides an insight into the Press as it continues to advance learning, knowledge and research worldwide.

History of the Press

Cambridge University Press is the oldest printing and publishing house in the world. It was founded in 1534 and has been operating continuously as a printer and publisher since the first Press book was printed in 1584.

Today Cambridge University Press is one of the largest academic and educational publishers in the world, publishing nearly 3,000 books and 230 journals a year, which are sold in some 200 countries.

Our mission

We aim to further, through publication and printing, the University of Cambridge's own objective of advancing learning, knowledge and research worldwide. Today, this transformative mission is realized through our commitment to innovation and enterprise, placing us at the cutting-edge of electronic delivery in a world that looks increasingly to digital content and networked access not only to books and journals but to a range of other pedagogic services.

Meeting the needs of our authors, readers and customers

Across the whole range of our publishing, from starter-level English Language Teaching materials for learners worldwide, through curriculum-oriented textbooks and e-resources, to the most specialized academic research outputs, we maintain and extend our age-old reputation for high quality and technological innovation to meet the needs of our customers, authors and readers across the globe.

Our spread of publishing covers virtually every educational subject seriously studied in the English-speaking world - with professional books, textbooks, monographs, reference works, English Language Teaching publications, software and electronic publishing.

The environment

Our organisation has strong commitments to environmental policies, and our UK operation has been accredited with ISO:14001, a prestigious standard  currently held by no other publisher and printer, which recognizes our use of non-wasteful materials and processes.

Cambridge University Press advances learning, knowledge and research worldwide