KAMP Copyright and Related Rights Limited is pleased to announce the successful signing of a reciprocal agreement with the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA).
This marks a significant milestone in KAMP’s journey following the receipt of its provisional license and the strategic expansion of its mandate to represent performers.
The agreement was formally signed by Mr. Pfanani Lishivha, Chief Executive Officer of SAMPRA, and CS Maurice Okoth, Chief Executive Officer of KAMP, in a move that underscores both organisations’ commitment to ensuring fair compensation for performers and producers whose work is used internationally.
This reciprocal agreement means that:
•KAMP will now collect royalties for Kenyan performers and producers whose music is used in South Africa, and
•SAMPRA will collect and remit royalties for South African rights holders whose works are used in Kenya.
“This partnership is a major breakthrough for our members. 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,” said Maurice Okoth. “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.”
The signing comes as part of KAMP’s broader strategy to meet regulatory requirements for a unified rights management system in Kenya, which includes representing performers, sound recordings, and producers under one roof.
“We are excited to have this agreement with KAMP. 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 allow them to license music users, collect license fees, process distributions, and pay right owners,” Pfanani Lishivha, Chief Executive Officer of SAMPRA said.
This agreement is expected to significantly increase the revenue streams for KAMP’s members, many of whom have not previously received any royalties for the use of their works outside Kenya. It also marks a key step in KAMP’s mission to build an internationally connected, transparent, and effective royalty collection and distribution system.
“We believe and hope that this partnership with KAMP will result in the flow of neighbouring rights royalties between Kenya and South Africa. We hope to see right holders in Kenya and South Africa benefiting from the performance of their tracks in both countries,” Mr Pfanani Lishivha added.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa Performance Rights Conference (PRC), held over two insightful days from 9–10 April in the vibrant city of Cape Town.
The summit was hosted by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in partnership with the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), attracting participation from record labels, Music Licensing Companies (MLCs), Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), and recording industry representatives from across the Sub-Saharan region.
