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Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks- you probably have watched at least one featured movie from these animation powerhouses. Perhaps, you have seen The Lion King, Tarzan, and Madagascar…yes, these movie animations have one thing in common -their setting was the wonderful wilderness of Africa. &nbsp;But there’s more to this rich continent than savannas and safaris.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indeed, as an emerging animation hub of the world, Africa has a lot more to offer. For the past ten years, animated movies in Africa are deliberately being celebrated in the region.Little by little, <a href="https://www.cgafrica.com/article/the-top-5-most-promising-animation-studios-in-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">African animation studios </a>are recognized all over the world, their animators are sought after for their skills and endless pursuit to be the best. Not an easy task though. &nbsp;Despite the many constraints, African animation is hoisted to successfully conquer the world of featured films. Here is a taste of the irresistible servings of the 5 best animation movies of Africa:&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters&nbsp;</h2><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/LBMM_f6c5e2f5aa.jpg"><figcaption>Image from techpoint.africa</figcaption></figure>Simply known as LBMM of Hot Ticket Productions, Winner of the 2021 Africa Movie Academy Awards.&nbsp;This pre- pandemic animation is the first feature-length 3D animated movie from Nigerian Cinematic, dubbed as Nollywood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since its debut in Lekki, Lagos in December 2020, it has stirred the African animation movies industry and has been under the scrutiny and reviews of critics and fans alike. &nbsp;LBMM is a feel-good, family-oriented movie that follows the tale of an inquisitive, precocious young girl, Bukky, in a series of adventures in an unfamiliar territory, where she met strange characters.<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Queen Malika: Warrior Queen&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Thanks to YouTube, I was able to watch this next-on-the-list animated film with no hassle at all. A 15- minute short animated movie published by Youneek Studios. To date, it has more than 700K views since its release two years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;Queen Malika was inspired by the story of a warrior queen, Queen Amina, a 16th Century ruler who reigned over parts of Northwest Nigeria. An exceptional leader whose struggles revolve around keeping her kingdom intact and safe from enemies in the fifteenth century.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;One of the film’s major achievements was when it emerged as the winner in Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards for the best animated short movie category last July 2019.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Fans worldwide are eagerly waiting for the sequel of this short animated African movie.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Zambesia&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>About a decade ago (2012), the first animated movie from Africa’s leading animation studio, Triggerfish Animation Studios, was released by Cinema Management Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Zambesia_0b1e4c919f.jpg"><figcaption>Image from imdb.com</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum is some of the voices of this successful and award-winning animated film, about the story of a young falcon named Kai.&nbsp;Despite the restrictions from his father Tendai (Samuel L. Jackson), Kai discovers himself as he finds out the importance of family, friendship, and teamwork to solve whatever problems that arise.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some of its recognition were: Best South African Feature Film in 2012 Durban International Film Festival and the Best Animation at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards.<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Mark of Uru&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Released when African animation movies weren’t as much it is today, this film touched the worldwide issue of discrimination, of acceptance for one’s being.&nbsp;Azuka was born with a peculiar birthmark, the cause of her tribulations. Despite her mother’s effort to conceal it, she did not succeed. Azuka must find ways to free herself from the imminent danger posed by some patches on her skin.&nbsp;&nbsp;A first of its own, this web-based animated series was released in 2009 and continued to be watched by viewers worldwide. Despite its limitations, still, this movie has shown what a great culture and folklore could become when combined with computer graphics and animation.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Produced by Mayhem Productions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">The Passport of Mallam Ilia&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>This last but not least item on our list has not been fully released yet. But I believed it is worth waiting for and worth a spot on our 5 best-animated movies in Africa.&nbsp;Alright, there might be some bias here but I just can’t help it. Perhaps because the film is based on a popular African novel by Cyprian Ekwensi , maybe because it features the universal theme of love, vengeance, and conquest or it could be that I found its teaser incredibly amazing…&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Passport_of_Mallam_Ilia_Magic_Carpet_Studios_c614969aa6.jpg" alt="Passport-of-Mallam-Ilia_-Magic-Carpet-Studios"><figcaption>&nbsp;Image from Youneekstudio.com</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;I could not pinpoint the exact reason though, but this featured film from Magic Carpet Studios is something that we could look forward to and deserved a slot here.&nbsp;&nbsp;A truly ingenious manner to bridge the older books generation with the digital youth of today through the art of animation.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Conclusion</h2>Africa has a lot to offer. The developing animation industry has already proven itself that it can be at par with other animation studios in the world yet uniquely African;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>The African animated movies have reached a worldwide audience;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>It is a great avenue to showcase African rich culture to the world;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>African Animation has proven to send a universal message of love, family, friendship, and camaraderie to its viewers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;</li></ul>Again, there could be no better way to present the African way of life and culture to the world than through animation by African animators.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;List down your best bets too, in the comments below.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recognition of the emerging African animation industry could be felt worldwide. Unique African culture, story, and style combined with great animation and you have an amazing film worth watching for.  Read here to know the 5 best animated movies in Africa. 

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5 Best Animated Movies in Africa

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Animation studios in Africa are breaking through the digital scenery of the cinematic world today. These African animation studios are being noticed by films and tv giants like Netflix and Disney, a feat that not only involves a lot of hard work, grit, and creativity but tons of ingenuity too. Digital artists in Africa persistently learn and collaborate to level up their games into the creative space.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite the pandemic, the African pool of talented animators and artists received accolades worldwide as they are striving, to show to the world the grassroots stories and talents of Africa.&nbsp;Various animation studios emerged as the demands for animation post-Covid continuously grows.&nbsp; Whatever region you are in in the world., you would surely find an animation studio that would suit your project needs and demands.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here at CG Africa, we present our top 5 most promising animation studios in Africa, where the magic of animation happens.&nbsp;<figure class="table"><table style="background-color:transparent;border-style:solid;"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Studio&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">CEO/ Owner&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Animation Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Triggerfish&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Stuart Forrest&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Khumba, Zambesia&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Luma Animation&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Paul Meyer /&nbsp; Gerhard Painter&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Headspace, MeerKAt Visualization Project&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Magic Carpet Studios&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Ferdy ‘Ladi&nbsp; Adimefe&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Passport of Malliam Ilia&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Maan Creative&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Johan Scheepers &nbsp;/ Michael Clark&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">My Better World&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Orange VFX&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">Oboh Richard&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border-style:solid;border-width:0.1px;padding:10px;width:500px;">STV Ultimate Love TV Commercial (2020) DSTV step up and boost ad (2019)&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Triggerfish Animation Studios&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>The Triggerfish animation studio is a leading animation studio in Africa. They had produced award-winning projects that gets the attention of animation giants. Recently, they received the 2021 Mifa Animation Industry Award during Annecy International Animation Festival. While Stickman was awarded the Cristal Awards for Best TV Production in 2016, to name a few.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:100%;"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Triggerfish_Animation_Studios_Logo_ab923f646f.jpg" alt="triggerfish animation studios logo"><figcaption>Image from Triggerfish Animation Studios</figcaption></figure>The 103-manned African animation studio is pushing to be the best 3D animation and CG studio in the land, if not of the world. No wonder Disney, Disney plus and Netflix will have Khumba, Mama K’s Team of 4&nbsp; on the line soon.&nbsp;Yet, even with the global accolades received by Triggerfish, its CEO Stuart Forrest, believes that the studio is still in its infancy stage. Needless to say, a lot more is to be undertaken. As every production is a vision of people’s creativity and inspiration.&nbsp;&nbsp;In one of his interviews, Forrest emphasized the role rendered by people. It takes the collaboration of ideas and creativity to come up with a piece of art-the animation.&nbsp;Thus, he constantly supports and encourages aspiring artists to bold. Talents and creativity have no boundary it only needs to be expressed. To support talents, Triggerfish is one of the sponsors of CG Africa’s ongoing <a href="https://www.cgafrica.com/challenge/cg-africa-2022-a-2-d-drawing-of-legend-of-shango-the-third-emperor-competition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">competition</a>.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Luma Animation&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2><figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:100%;"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Luma_AVBOB_Sunbird_Baobab_Flower_Low_Res_copy_a94bbdec5b.jpg" alt="Luma_AVBOB_Sunbird_Baobab_Flower_Low_Res-copy"><figcaption>Image from www.screenafrica.com</figcaption></figure>Prided themselves as a well-established CG and animation company in South Africa. One of their prominent projects was the MeerKAT (Karoo Array Telescope) project- 90-second promo documentation intended for the World Scientific Convention in Canada.&nbsp;&nbsp;A few years ago, Luma Animation studio has already penetrated the US through 30-second tv ads for Kemps.&nbsp;Considered by Luma animation’s CEO Peter Meyer as their most technical and artistic work, the AVOB centenary tv commercial was an awe-inspiring accomplishment by them. The 60-second vid showed how computer graphics imagery were masterfully utilized to arrive at the desired effect fit for a 100-year celebration.&nbsp;&nbsp;Their current project Headspace will be out soon, in collaboration with SC International Films and The Ergo Company.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:justify;">Magic Carpet Studios&nbsp;</h2>Animation and CG enthusiasts refer to this studio as the Disney of Africa. Located in Lekki, Nigeria, Magic Carpet Studios is one of the forerunners of the animation niche in the digital industry of Africa.Established in 2016, they specialize in 2D animation now venturing to 3D too, and gaming as well. Their talents and artists are being outsourced to do animation projects.&nbsp;Cited the 21st century Africa’s year of storytelling, Magic Carpet Studios is very excited to conquer the world of animation and computer graphics of Africa.For them, it is through animation that Africa could relay its vast culture and story.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">MAAN Creative &nbsp;</h2><figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:100%;"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/my_better_world1_a498b99490.jpg" alt="animation of a girl"><figcaption>Image from bbc.com</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;An animation studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa, MAAN Creative finds 2D animation and stop motion more engaging than any other niche. MAAN Creative pursued to become the best in their region.In partnership with Fundi Films, MAAN creative did not falter in delivering a compelling animation of the story of the lives of six African teenagers as they faced the different ordeals of African life in My Better World.&nbsp;My Better World is gaining the top spot in tv shows in Kenya, and a nomination in the prestigious animation showdown- the Annecy Internationa Animation Film Festival.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Orange VFX&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Orange VFX prided itself on providing the best animation and 3D services for a price that its clients would find reasonable, with its mission to inspire and uplift Africa.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-left image_resized" style="width:100%;"><img src="https://cgafrica-media.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Orange_VFX_Logo_new_38f93e2500.jpg"><figcaption>Image from OrangeVFX</figcaption></figure>A two-time winner in LIFANIMA (Lagos International Festival of Animation), another prestigious African Animation Festivals. They won the 2020 Best Animation Commercial as well as the 2019 Best Animation Commercial in the said contest.&nbsp;With a vision to empower the next generation of animators and digital artists, and initiative-Orange Seed was launched by the company. Orange Seed aimed to train 1000 youth to become competent digital content creators of Africa, a movement that would really bring a bright future for the young people.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:0px;">Conclusion&nbsp;</h2>Animation studios in Africa have come a long way and are started to be noticed globally. Although these studios have more to learn, at this point in time they had already proven that:&nbsp;<ul><li>African animation studios could compete with the world’s more known animation giants</li><li>Almost each of these studios has projects that are currently promoted in other countries</li><li>Animation studios in Africa are consciously aware of their roles in promoting to the world the richness of African culture and ingenuity.</li></ul>Given a fair playing field, animation studios in Africa could surely deliver a rich and extensive project that would unravel the opulent resources Africa has.&nbsp;How about you, which other animation studio would you include in the list? Let us know about it in the comments below.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Animation studios in Africa grew rapidly, as well as the numbers of skilled artists, animators in the CG and animation industry.

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The Top 5 Most Promising Animation Studios in Africa 

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Sidney Kombo, Animation supervisor at Weta Digital discuss the making of the war for the planets of the Apes.&nbsp;For Congo-born animator <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidney-kombo-baab421a/">Sidney Kombo</a> however, both the dream and his own animations truly have come to life in such blockbuster movie franchises as the Avengers, Planet of the Apes, and Paddington, to name just a few.&nbsp;&nbsp; In what was a lively and free-flowing exchange of questions and commentary, complete with questions from you, our amazing CG Africa audience and friends, we were recently blessed to spend time chatting (and laughing!) with Sidney.&nbsp;The result? This video is exclusive for you to enjoy at your leisure.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w_jtxYha0KM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

Sidney Kombo, Animation supervisor at Weta Digital discuss the making of the war for the planets of the Apes. 

5 Best Animated Movies in Africa

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5 Best Animated Movies in Africa

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