Van Schaik Publishers
Van Schaik Publishers is a South African academic textbook publisher, operating since 1915 and a subsidiary of Media24 Group, producing 400+ titles across nine subject areas for the country's tertiary education market via print and ebook distribution partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Van Schaik Publishers does
Van Schaik Publishers is a South African academic textbook publisher founded in 1915, headquartered in Pretoria with a distribution centre in Johannesburg, and operated as a subsidiary of the Media24 Group. The company publishes more than 400 titles across nine subject areas — Commerce, Education, Health Sciences, Human & Social Sciences, Information Technology, Legal Studies & Criminology, Natural & Agricultural Sciences, Public & Development Management, and Research, Reference & Student Support — written primarily by South African academics for South African tertiary institutions. Its primary buyers are university and college lecturers (who prescribe titles and receive free support material) and the students who purchase them.
The core product is academic textbooks delivered in print and digital formats. Print distribution is concentrated through Takealot, the company's "trusted print book partner" and South Africa's leading book retailer, while ebook distribution is handled through Snapplify via ePub and ePDF formats that support highlighting, note-taking, and font adjustment. Additional product lines include interactive digital content, MS Word-format assessment content with LMS-integration assistance, free lecturer support materials (PowerPoint slides, test banks, answers, case studies), and student resources optimised for tablets and smartphones. The end-to-end publishing workflow runs from manuscript development through editorial, production, and marketing, with an approximately nine-month production timeline.
Revenue is generated through one-time print and ebook sales, with ebooks recommended at 10% below print prices (e.g., Study Power eBook R 468.00 vs print R 520.00). A custom publications service builds course-specific compilations from existing Van Schaik titles for institutional clients, and academic content consultants run a field sales motion targeting lecturers with inspection copies and prescribing support. Distribution is multi-channel: Takealot and Snapplify for consumer reach, academic and campus bookshops plus trade retailers (e.g., Exclusive Books) for institutional prescription fulfilment, and direct institutional sales for bulk and custom orders. Free inspection copies (capped at two per lecturer) and free support material are funnel mechanisms to lock in prescriptions rather than revenue streams themselves.
Van Schaik Publishers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Van Schaik Publishers
- Legal name
- Van Schaik Publishers
- Website
- https://www.vanschaiknet.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Van Schaik Publishers is a South African academic textbook publisher, operating since 1915 and a subsidiary of Media24 Group, producing 400+ titles across nine subject areas for the country's tertiary education market via print and ebook distribution partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Van Schaik Publishers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Higher Education Textbook Publishing (MPAJABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business, Economics, Accounting & Management (EDAGABAC), Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science) (EDAGABAD), Humanities (History, Philosophy, Literature, Languages) (EDAGABAE)
Keywords
Where Van Schaik Publishers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pretoria
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Van Schaik Publishers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Textbook Sales (Print): One-time sale of physical textbooks through academic bookshops, campus bookstores, and online retailers. Print books are sold through Takealot as the primary print book partner.
- eBook Sales: Digital textbook sales through Snapplify and other ebook retailers. eBooks are recommended to be sold at 10% less than print prices. Most titles are available as ebooks.
- Custom Publications: Developing custom publications from one or more Van Schaik titles for specific courses at institutions. This is a professional services component for institutional clients.
- Inspection Copies to Lecturers: Free inspection copies provided to lecturers evaluating titles for possible prescription. Support material including PowerPoint slides and question banks provided to prescribing lecturers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Understanding Microeconomics - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Strategic Management Process - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic Accounting for Non-Accountant - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Strategic Management - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Game Ranch Management - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wat sê die Grondwet? - Print Edition |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | eBook Pricing Standard |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Van Schaik Publishers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Van Schaik Publishers produces and distributes academic textbooks in print and digital formats for the South African tertiary education market. The company maintains a catalogue of over 400 titles covering nine subject areas, supported by lecturer materials (PowerPoint slides, test banks, question banks), ebooks via Snapplify, interactive content, and LMS-compatible assessment solutions. The company also provides publishing services to local academic authors and offers custom publications to institutions.
Product overview
Van Schaik Publishers is a South African academic publisher operating since 1915, offering a portfolio of over 400 print and digital textbook titles across nine academic disciplines. The core offering consists of printed textbooks sold through Takealot and digital ebooks distributed via Snapplify. Supporting products include interactive learning content, assessment tools formatted for Learning Management Systems, and free lecturer support materials such as PowerPoint slides and test banks. The company operates as a direct-to-institution supplier and works with academic content consultants across all subject areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Academic Textbook Publishing
Companies that use Van Schaik Publishers
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Van Schaik Publishers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Van Schaik Publishers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TakealotcoreTakealot is described as the primary print book partner for Van Schaik Publishers. All printed books are sold through Takealot as the leading book retailer and distributor in South Africa. The partnership enables broad consumer access to Van Schaik's academic titles through Takealot's e-commerce platform.
- SnapplifycoreSnapplify is the primary ebook partner for Van Schaik Publishers, described as a leading ebook retailer and distributor in South Africa. The partnership enables digital distribution of Van Schaik's academic titles. Snapplify provides an ebook reading platform for students accessing Van Schaik content.
- Media24coreVan Schaik Publishers is part of the Media24 Group. Van Schaik is governed by the Media24 Privacy Policy but does not apply several of the points detailed in that policy when handling customer information. This is a parent company relationship.
- Jonathan BallminorJonathan Ball handles credit control for Van Schaik Publishers' retail accounts, indicating a distribution or wholesale relationship for trade book distribution.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Van Schaik Publishers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cambridge University Press (South Africa): UK-based academic publisher with significant South African market presence publishing higher education textbooks. Comparable as a globally backed academic publisher competing for lecturer prescriptions in the same South African tertiary curriculum.
- Juta and Company: South Africa's largest independent academic and legal publisher, publishing textbooks and scholarly works for the tertiary market. Highly comparable to Van Schaik because both target South African lecturers and students with locally contextualised content and operate the same textbook-plus-support-materials business model.
- NB Publishers: South African publishing group (including Via Afrika) producing textbooks and academic content for schools and tertiary institutions. Comparable vertically integrated publisher in the South African academic market.
- Shuter & Shooter Publishers: Long-established South African educational and academic publisher with deep presence in school and tertiary textbook markets. Comparable as a domestically rooted publisher with multi-decade lecturer relationships in South African higher education.
- Macmillan South Africa: South African publisher of academic and educational materials across multiple tertiary disciplines. Direct peer in the local academic publishing market competing for the same lecturer prescription decisions.
- Oxford University Press Southern Africa: South African arm of OUP publishing academic textbooks and educational resources for higher education across multiple disciplines. Direct competitor in the same tertiary textbook market with locally contextualised editions and lecturer support materials.
Broad incumbents
- Pearson South Africa: South African subsidiary of Pearson, the global education publisher, offering textbooks and digital learning tools across higher education. Direct competitor for lecturer prescriptions with significant scale advantages on digital platforms.
- Cengage Learning South Africa: Global higher education publisher with a South African presence offering textbooks and digital learning platforms. Comparable as a globally backed competitor in the same higher-ed textbook market with strong digital product positioning.
Regional players
- Longhorn Publishers: Kenyan publisher with operations across East Africa producing textbooks for universities and schools. Comparable as a regionally focused academic publisher with locally contextualised content targeting African tertiary institutions.
- East African Educational Publishers (EAEP): Kenya-based academic and educational publisher serving Eastern Africa with locally contextualised textbooks. Comparable as an Africa-focused textbook publisher operating in the same broader regional market with similar lecturer-targeted sales model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Van Schaik Publishers social profiles
Digital presenceVan Schaik Publishers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Van Schaik Publishers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Van Schaik Publishers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Van Schaik Publishers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Van Schaik Publishers
What does Van Schaik Publishers do?
Van Schaik Publishers produces and distributes academic textbooks in print and digital formats for the South African tertiary education market. The company maintains a catalogue of over 400 titles covering nine subject areas, supported by lecturer materials (PowerPoint slides, test banks, question banks), ebooks via Snapplify, interactive content, and LMS-compatible assessment solutions. The company also provides publishing services to local academic authors and offers custom publications to institutions.
Is Van Schaik Publishers a public or private company?
Van Schaik Publishers is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Van Schaik Publishers founded?
Van Schaik Publishers was founded in -1.
Where is Van Schaik Publishers based?
Van Schaik Publishers is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Van Schaik Publishers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Textbook Sales (Print) is the primary driver. The others are eBook Sales, custom Publications and inspection Copies to Lecturers.
Who are Van Schaik Publishers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cambridge University Press (South Africa), Juta and Company, NB Publishers, Shuter & Shooter Publishers, Macmillan South Africa and Oxford University Press Southern Africa. Broad incumbents are Pearson South Africa and Cengage Learning South Africa. Regional players are Longhorn Publishers and East African Educational Publishers (EAEP).
Does Van Schaik Publishers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Van Schaik Publishers.
What industry is Van Schaik Publishers in?
Van Schaik Publishers's product category is Academic Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJABAB, Higher Education Textbook Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGABAC, Business, Economics, Accounting & Management. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.