The New Romance Reader in South Africa

The book-buying and reading market in South Africa has experienced significant change since 2016 when compared to the recent 2023 National Reading Survey and book industry trends. Yet the reader envisioned for romantic fiction in South Africa has not. The South African book market, especially in the romance genre, continues to prioritise the English reader of imported fiction. Historic marginalization of readers influences the decisions made by publishers, who appear reluctant to promote South African titles in the genre. Local and self-published romantic fiction, on the other hand, serves a market outside traditional publishing operational structures. First-hand reports from self-published and previously marginalized authors bear testimony to their experience of gatekeeping and market access. These reports are read alongside an analysis of production trends and bestselling titles in the romance genre. As a result, this paper examines the role of content, ownership and author diversification in the local book industry’s response to changing romance reader needs.