Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to handle book sales, marketing, distribution, and warehousing services for HSRC Publishing over a period of thirty-six (36) months. The goal is to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and market penetration of HSRC’s publications within South Africa and the broader African region, ensuring efficient logistics and digital distribution channels.

Scope

The scope of services includes:

• Scholarly sales, marketing, and distribution of books in South Africa and across Africa.
• Warehousing services with inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping, and return handling.
• Provision of regular sales and inventory reports.
• Digital distribution, including e-sales channels and Print-On-Demand services.
• Promotion through website, social media, conferences, and book fairs.
• Logistical management of stock movement to and from warehouses and customers, including physical and digital stock.

Technical Requirements

The service provider must demonstrate:

• Expertise in the academic/scholarly book sector with proven experience (minimum 5 years).
• Ability to provide reliable sales, marketing, distribution, and warehousing operations.
• Use of current technology and software for interoperability across the book supply chain, including book data services.
• Established network of local and international partners for marketing and distribution.
• Effective inventory management, including handling slow-moving stock and potential third-party inventory management.
• Digital distribution capabilities, including e-sales and Print-On-Demand.
• Capacity to attend industry events, promote titles via social media, blogs, and newsletters, and provide evidence of sector engagement.

Skills Requirements

The successful bidder should possess:

• Demonstrated experience in scholarly book publishing, distribution, and sales within Africa.
• Strong account management and quality control capabilities, with ability to produce accurate, timely reports.
• Proven capacity to manage warehousing and logistics efficiently.
• Established networks with booksellers, libraries, e-tailers, and aggregators.
• Technological proficiency in supply chain management software and digital distribution platforms.
• Experience in marketing and promoting academic publications through various channels, including social media and industry events.