KAMP and SAMPRA Sign Landmark Reciprocal Agreement to Boost Royalties for Kenyan and South African Artists

 

In a landmark move poised to transform the earnings landscape for musicians, KAMP Copyright and Related Rights Limited has signed a pivotal reciprocal agreement with the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA). The agreement was formalized during the 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa Performance Rights Conference (PRC) in Cape Town, South Africa, marking a major stride in cross-border collaboration on music rights in the region.

The deal, signed by Mr. Pfanani Lishivha, CEO of SAMPRA, and CS Maurice Okoth, CEO of KAMP, allows both organizations to collect and distribute royalties on behalf of performers and producers in each other’s countries. This means that Kenyan artists whose music is played in South Africa will now receive royalties through KAMP, while SAMPRA will collect earnings for South African rights holders with music usage in Kenya.

“This partnership is a major breakthrough for our members,” said KAMP CEO Maurice Okoth. “For the first time, Kenyan performers will start receiving royalties from the use of their works in South Africa—a region where Kenyan music has significant reach. Reciprocal agreements such as this are built on the principle of mutual benefit and trust. We're proud to say, ‘you do for me, I do for you’ is now a reality for our industry.”

Echoing this sentiment, Pfanani Lishivha of SAMPRA noted the long-term efforts invested in fostering regional collaboration. “We have, in the last four years, invested a lot of effort and resources in ensuring that our counterparts in Kenya and Tanzania are properly capacitated to license music users, collect license fees, process distributions, and pay rights owners,” he said. “We believe and hope this partnership will lead to the flow of neighbouring rights royalties between Kenya and South Africa.”

The agreement is a major milestone for KAMP, which recently received its provisional license and expanded its mandate to include performers. As part of its broader strategy to unify rights management in Kenya, KAMP aims to create a transparent and efficient royalty system that benefits all stakeholders—performers, producers, and sound recording rights holders alike.

Held from April 9–10 in Cape Town, the PRC brought together stakeholders from across the Sub-Saharan region, including record labels, Music Licensing Companies (MLCs), Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), and representatives from the recording industry. Hosted by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in collaboration with SAMPRA, the conference underscored the growing importance of regional cooperation in the music business.

This newly inked agreement is expected to significantly boost revenues for KAMP’s members—many of whom have never received royalties for international usage of their works. It also marks a crucial step toward KAMP’s vision of building a globally connected and efficient royalty collection and distribution system.

April 11, 2025