The Rise Of Global Streaming Has Put African Animation Projects Center Stage

While there is no dearth of ideas in the African creative scene, but due to the large amount of funding and resources generally required to produce a quality animation project, Africa has largely remained an onlooker rather than a key player in the animation industry. Now, the issue of funding is being bridged by a number of independent companies such as HBO Max, Cartoon Network, Disney, and more who have ordered and are working on a number of African animation projects. 

2023 is about to be an exciting year of African animation projects; from ground-breaking adaptations to full-fledged original series, a lot of these projects do not only have massive companies backing them but also have some of the best talents working on them as well. As Africa continues to emerge as a critical player in global streaming, it only makes sense that these companies are looking to get in early and secure their piece of that lucrative streaming pie.

A project like Disney’s Iwajụ́ brings Lagos to life as animation. In partnership with Kugali, a pan-African comic book company, Iwajụ́ is being developed and will be the first animated series from Disney centred on Nigeria. The series is set to be released in 2023 and this initial production of the partnership is essentially a love letter to Lagos. According to Disney, the animation will take a futuristic look at Lagos, an island and mainland city separated by both water and socioeconomic status. Iwajụ́ is a story about Tola and Kole from the Island and Mainland part of Lagos respectively.

In 2021, HBO Max and Cartoon Network announced a 2D animated adaptation of Iyanu: Child of Wonder, a Dark Horse Comics/YouNeek Studios graphic novel series heavily influenced by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. They revealed that the project, which is going to be financed and overseen by Black-owned animation studio Lion Forge Animation, is a superhero tale set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, which draws from Nigerian culture, music and mythology. The series follows Iyanu; a teenage orphan who spends her days studying Yoruba history and ancient arts but yearns for a normal life. One day, responding to danger, she unknowingly triggers her divine powers, the likes of which have not been seen since the Age of Wonders. With newly discovered superpowers, Iyanu joins forces with two other teenagers as they embark on a remarkable journey to discover the truth about the evil lurking in her homeland. Throughout her adventure, she’ll uncover the truth about her past, her parents, and her ultimate destiny to save the world. Iyanu: Child of Wonder was created by Roye Okupe, who is also writing and directing multiple episodes.

On their recently announced 10-part African Sci-Fi animation project Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, Disney+ gathered talent from across the continent to answer the question “what does Africa’s future look like from an African perspective?” The cast includes Florence Kasumba from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Nigerian star Kehinde Bankole from Netflix’s Blood Sisters, and South African rapper Nasty C who also appears in Netflix’s Blood And Water. A US-based Nigerian, Shofela Coker, is set to join other creators from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt in the production of the Disney+ Original collection of premium original films. The anthology’s production is being led by the fast-rising animation studio Trigger Fish and is set for a global streaming debut on Disney+ streaming in 2023. 

Some concerns regarding IP and the allowance of control over African stories being handed over to foreign media can be raised; however, no matter the angle you are looking at things from, these investments are inevitably a good thing. None of these projects are being produced without the involvement of Africans. The backing and funding of these projects not only create jobs for more Africans and provide support to Africans doing impressive work, but it also provides an opportunity to shape and change the negative narrative about Africa on a global scale.

In a conversation with Reuters, Ugandan film producer Raymond Malinga, who is one of the people working on Disney’s Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, said, “The narrative in Africa has been, you switch on the news right now, I bet you it’s (about) something bad that just happened.” He says that the positives get lost in the narrative, and this should change. “For me (the Disney anthology) is an opportunity to contribute to that conversation,” he said.

Adaptations of books and comics often get people scared because of how much is changed and how the final products differ from the original material. We’ve seen it with other non-African content and it isn’t unusual for people to be worried about how these partnerships may affect the overall authenticity of the stories. While we hope the stories behind these animation projects do not get altered, we can also view these collaborations as a top-of-the-funnel strategy that will inevitably bring more eyes and interest into African storytelling and culture. The original comics will always be out there and an adaptation is not an eradication of any previous versions of the story.

Even as more companies realise the untapped streaming potential Africa brings to the table, it remains key that we do not—in pursuit of globalisation—lose the very essence of our culture and stories. This growing demand for original African content (animated or not) should serve as a confirmation that African storytelling is entertaining and can play on the big stages.