Abstract

African nations collectively face significant imbalances in intellectual property (IP) flows, with most royalties and license fees departing for the Global North. Recent copyright legislative reforms in Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, and Kenya seek to address these inequities, modernise legal frameworks, and ensure that creators and local industries reap the rewards of their innovations. While Nigeria’s Copyright Act of 2022, Uganda’s ongoing copyright amendments, South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill, and Kenya’s incremental reforms each illustrate a commitment to fostering economic growth and cultural preservation, they also highlight persistent challenges, ranging from limited enforcement mechanisms to inadequate public awareness and institutional capacity.
From the standpoint of the AU Agenda 2063, these reforms align with Africa’s broader vision of socio-economic transformation and emphasise the need to balance the rights of creators with the public interest. Equally, the African Continental Free Trade Area presents new opportunities for cross-border trade in creative goods and services, but also underscores the importance of harmonised IP standards to facilitate regional integration. Taken together, these national copyright reforms offer insights into how African governments can safeguard cultural heritage, spur creativity, and enhance business competitiveness; thereby advancing Africa’s economic, social, and technological aspirations under Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA framework.