Angela Ndambuki

Angela Ndambuki has helped shape music rights systems, copyright infrastructure, and policy frameworks across more than 45 African countries, directly influencing how creators are protected, paid, and positioned within global digital music markets.

A Kenyan lawyer and executive leader specialising in intellectual property, music rights, and creative industry governance, she is currently regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

Her career has focused on institutional reform and the modernisation of rights management systems. One of her most significant initiatives was the introduction and operationalisation of the International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) system across Sub-Saharan Africa, improving the identification of recordings and enabling more accurate tracking of usage and royalty distribution in digital and broadcast environments.

Prior to IFPI, Ndambuki was chief executive officer of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), where she strengthened private-sector advocacy and government–business engagement. She also acted as strategic advisor to the East African Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, supporting regional economic integration.

In the creative rights sector, she was a founding member and CEO of the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK), where she formalised performers’ rights administration and strengthened collective management structures. She also served as the first female chairperson of the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), leading governance reforms that improved transparency, strengthened royalty systems, and increased female representation in leadership, with women holding the majority of board and committee roles under her tenure.

Ndambuki’s work has earned regional and international recognition, including the Pacesetters Award (East Africa) and inclusion in Billboard Women in Music 2024. She is also a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy expert and a member of the Law Society of Kenya.

Through her leadership across institutions, she has helped modernise Africa’s music rights ecosystem and advance inclusive governance in IP and the creative industries.