The country found itself in an unprecedented period of change when David Alexander in 1996 founded Sheer Publishing, laying the foundation to what has become the largest independent music publisher today, ranking among the top five SA publishing companies by market share. Sheer Publishing, a full-service Music Publisher provides expertise in African music copyright ownership, international copyright management, film and television music, clearance and supervision, Jingle and songwriter representation and library production music management.His goal was to share South African music and exploit a gap in the local jazz scene to the world. True to its roots, after 21 dynamic years, the name Sheer Publishing stands for a globally active publisher dedicated to the advancement of music enterprise, putting its authors and composers at the heart of the company’s publishing activities.

While representing African-based composers seeking representation for licensing of music on TV and film, commercials and radio, Sheer Publishing also represents international music publishers such as Kobalt Music, Downtown Music, Songs Music Publishing, Mushroom Music, Mute Song, Freibank Music and Saragema Music of India.With a catalogue of more than 150 000 copyrights, ranging from songs by iconic songwriters such as Zimbabwean music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, the Grammy award-winning Miriam Makeba, Chimurenga music pioneer Thomas Mapfumo, Kenyan afro-pop band Sauti Sol who have won both the MTV Africa & Europe Awards, rock band The Parlotones and South Africa’s hip-hop ace Cassper Nyovest and the great Busi Mhlongo to mention a few.  Sheer Publishing continues to transport Africa’s musical treasures to the rest of the world and is further making a penetration into key markets on the continent as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, which over the years have developed very sophisticated media industries–to exploit its domestic and international catalogues.

Sheer Publishing’s Managing Director David Alexander says: “Sheer Publishing is about innovating, exploring new markets, territories and networking on platforms that can scale and offer clients opportunities. Our brand is steeped in excellence, thanks largely to our stakeholders who are a resource in our value proposition and thus perfecting a publishing solution becomes a treasured partnership in these diverse music economies."

In 2011, Sheer Publishing invested in a local music library catalogue, buying Skumba Music that had 1500 tracks and have built it to an entity that today houses more than 300 000 pieces of high quality music , most of them instrumental, background music for TV, making this the largest diverse African music library that is available under the blanket license and has thus seen music placements in films such as “District 9,” “Tsotsi,” and “Searching for Sugarman” “Miners Shot Down” and television shows such as “Private Practice,” “Jacob’s Cross,” and “Isibaya,” and in commercials for Castle Light, Vodacom, MTN, Cadbury’s PS, Wimpy, Engen, and Ackerman’s.With a full-time staff of 15 in Johannesburg, Sheer Publishing also has part-time agents in Accra, Yaoundé and Nairobi, with roles ranging from royalty manager, library and commercial music staff, accounts and copyright administration. “Music and business is our passion. We are happy to have reached such a milestone as a company and look forward to doing more in the future” ends Sheer Publishing’s General Manager, Karabo Motijoane. 

For media queries, interview requests and access to high-resolution pictures contact JT Comms on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 011 788 7632.Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Sheer Publishing 

Note to Editor

Sheer Publishing

Sheer Publishing is one of Africa’s largest independent Publishing houses and is currently looking to expand its client base within the African diaspora and seek to provide a comprehensive range of copyright services to their clients, domestic, continental and international.A full-service, mid-sized independent publishing company that is quickly growing its market share, Sheer Publishing has well over eighteen years’ experience of administration of intellectual property rights nationally and globally. Sheer Publishing has close links with collecting societies based all over the world. Sheer Publishing is also a direct member of SAMRO, MCSK and COSON, the copyright collection societies in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria respectively.www.sheerpublishing.co.za