PASA is a window into the publishing industry. It provides baseline information to the public about its members who are mostly publishers and those involved in publishing-related activities in South Africa. This includes members’ activities, their business focus, contact details and industry news. This information enables the public to come into contact with the publishers. Furthermore, those interested can also access vital information from the publishing surveys done since 2002 to date, industry submissions in response to relevant draft policies/legislation and industry position papers. PASA collaborates with various stakeholders to promote the culture of reading, writing and publishing in the country. For more details on PASA’s objectives, refer to its constitution.

PASA is of benefit to its members because it promotes and protects the interests of publishing. It is a channel for engagement on key industry developments with all Stakeholders including Government and NGOs. It also represents members on important local and international bodies such as BUSA (Business Unity South Africa), APNET (African Publishers Network) and International Publishers Association (IPA). PASA provides its members with updated industry information which enables them to network and share ideas within the framework provided by competition laws. The industry association also assists with the facilitation of skills training workshops in collaboration with the FP&M Seta to grow and sustain the industry.

PASA is regularly engaging with Government Departments on how the industry can assist to achieve national priorities and to make inputs into relevant policy/legislation formulation. While PASA interacts with all departments, the ones that we more regularly engage with are Sports, Arts and Culture, Basic Education, Higher Education and Trade and Industry. Educational Publishers help support the country to meet the national education objectives while Trade Publishers are at the forefront of society’s reading and cultural promotion. The publishing industry is well-positioned to assist the nation, through government initiatives, to enhance its knowledge and cultural development.