This Kenyan Startup is Providing a Marketplace for African Stock Images
When it comes to finding African stock images, it’s usually very challenging, and it takes a lot of time searching the internet, and also connecting with African photographers who sell such. But AfricanStockPhoto wants to change that narrative, and enable you have access to thousands of African stock images whenever you need them.
Launched in February 2017, AfricanStockPhoto is a photography marketplace that connects buyers of stock imagery to the best photographers on the continent.
According to the founders, “stock photography of Africa is still focused on certain stereotypes: primarily nature and wildlife, tribesmen and women, and poverty. This is reflected in imagery seen in media, both on the continent and globally. The lack of access to quality imagery is also evident from the billboards all over African cities which feature models that do not reflect their target audience.
Africa has no shortage of compelling visual stories and excellent photographers to tell them, and AfricanStockPhoto exists to make their content directly available to advertisers, media companies, report publishers and other consumers of stock photography, in Africa and beyond.
For photographers, AfricanStockPhoto, promises that they retain full ownership of their images when they contribute their images to the platform, and can sell or license them out elsewhere, and no exclusivity is expected. They also earn 50% commission on every sale made, and all transaction costs are covered by AfricanStockPhoto.
To protect images of contributors, they also claim to have advanced security features that include single-use download links for buyers, and watermarks on all previews, except for very-low-res thumbnails in search results.
Stock photography service is not knew, as we have big players like Getty Images and Shutter Stock, but they do not serve local needs, and there’s an increasing demand for local stock images. If done right, AfricanStockPhoto has a potential to being a go-to place for African stock images.
