Sabec (the Southern African Book Exchange Centre) receives and distributes surplus and little-used books and periodicals from Southern African libraries, publishers, individuals and other resources, sorts and lists them, and makes them available to its members at affordable handling fees.

Sabec deals in fiction and non-fiction, serials in volumes as well as single numbers and government and provincial gazettes and other government publications.

It is necessary to be a Sabec member to request or supply material. Members requesting material pay an annual registration fee, the handling fees of the publications ordered and the postage. Those who wish to supply material only are exempt from the registration fee but must register in any case.