The African

Animation
Market
White Paper - July 2019 edition
Sommaire
Preamble……………………………………………………………. 4

Movie….………………………………………………………………. 6

Audiovisual……………………….……………………………… 13

Video & new media………….……………………………… 24

Contents..………………………..………………………………... 31

Education & Employment………………………………… 36

Financing support …….……………………………………… 40

Swot & recommandations..……………………………… 45

References & contact……...………………………….…… 52

2
What is animation?
Before starting, it is important to present the understanding of the animation concept. Thus, animation is a set of
techniques that consists in using either comic strips, optical processes (optical theatre), frame-by-frame photography,
photographic film and/or computer processes in order to make them appear on the moving screen. The works
produced can be games or drawings, puppets, computer-generated images, models, legos, dolls, food, etc. all
animated.

Animation began in the West in 1917 and it was in 1930 that it was established in Africa. During this period,
workshops were held, passing on the love for this art from generation to generation without being able to pass on the
know-how. Moreover, African public authorities are rarely in a supportive position for creative initiatives.

The animation audience is the beneficiary of the message conveyed; in other words, all audiences. But a majority of
works are intended for children and adolescents. These works can be broadcast on many media such as television,
cinema and even on new media such as virtual reality headsets, streaming platforms, etc. They involve stakeholders
with complementary skills such as telephone operators, TV broadcasters, cinema operators, etc.

This document therefore presents different dimensions of the market in order to answer the following questions:

What is the situation? Is there any potential? What are the needs? How to intervene?

3
 Preamble
After conducting a Google search to try to understand the African animation market, I
quickly realized that a field trip would make the information gathering more contextual.
The query shows more than 26 million results yet none on the first page matches my
needs. Is it a problem of keywords? or information culture?

This strategic white paper draws on analyses from Forbes Afrique, IDC, RMB, Statista,
Le Monde, Jeune Afrique among others and from some reports from the United Nations
or the International Monetary Fund, to draw up a report on animation in Africa in
2019. It also suggests recommendations to address some of the difficulties
encountered in this industry.

It offers opportunities for more distributed cooperation or collaboration. Potential

investors (producers, business Angels, etc.) will thus obtain a panorama of animation
needs on the African continent. They will benefit more effectively from Africa's future
growth. This white paper also serves as a communication channel for African talent
seeking funding, partnerships or ideas.

4
Who am I?
Specialized in the design of transmedia content, I hold a PhD in information and communication sciences
from the CNAM in Paris. Graduated from universities and business schools, I have been trained in research
and innovation, digital transformation, web development, business development and audiovisual production
management. This has allowed me to work in different sectors and projects in France and Africa within SMEs
and multinationals.

My transmedia positioning forces me to constantly think about the proposal of engaging content on most
existing communication media. It is in this context that I decided to publish a white paper on the African
animation market. For this, I went to the Abidjan Animation Film Festival (Ivory Coast) which was held from
31th May to 2nd June 2019. My objective was to get the necessary basis to produce this document. Without
any prior contact with my fascination for this country and my passion for animation, I finally met friendly
producers, animators, graphic designers and scriptwriters who made this experience rich in learning.
Danielle Ingrid MBAMBE BEBEY
I look forward to receiving your feedback on this work that I enjoy sharing.
“Experience is never wrong; it is our
Enjoy your reading! judgments that are wrong”
Léonard de Vinci

5
Production

Panorama

Distribution

6
Les principaux producteurs d’animation
3D animation
54 short films of 13 to 26
minutes for each one
2D and 3D animation
4 feature films
4 series including 1 for 22 episodes
and 1 for 52 episodes
2D/3D animated short films,
television commercials, first
parts of shows, music video
Animation mainly in 3D
film, mobile application, comics,
video games, virtual reality games
CGI animation, motion capture
2 feature films, 4 series
Algeria A concentration of major studios is
located in West and South Africa. Nigeria and
South Africa are among the countries whose
productions have a higher reputation. This is due
to the diversity of their content, their services and
the partnerships they have forged with foreign
countries. In addition, having English as an official
Ivory
Nigeria language is an asset in interactions and
Coast
communication.
Uganda
Production costs in Africa are 3 times or
even 20 times lower than in the West. However,
the average is set at 7 times. These estimates vary
depending on currencies, team expertise,
producers' ability to do business and the return on
investment expected by investors. In a climate
that is not conducive to advantageous negotiation,
language finally establishes a climate of trust.
South
Africa
7
Animated Features Movies The most of the renowned productions come from South Africa.
They are characterized by their originality and Eurocentric content.
Most productions make their investment profitable.
Africa does not have many major animated feature films. As is the
case in the rest of the world, the animation industry in Africa is
also lagging behind the real shooting industry (Hollywood,
nollywood,...).

Filmmaker: Wayne Thornley

Year: 2013
Filmmaker: Anthony Silverston Country: South Africa
Year: 2014 Duration: 83 min
Country: South Africa Technique: 3D synthesis
Duration: 85 min Filmmaker: Pierre Sauvalle
Technique: 3D CGI Target: From 6 years old Year: 2012
Production studio: Triggerfish Animation Country: Senegal
Target: family Distributor: metropolitan filmexport Technique: 2D
Production studio: Triggerfish Animation Budget: $20 million (estimate)
Distributor: Cinema Management Group Box Office: over $34 million Target: 6-12 years old
Budget: $20 million Production studio: Pictoon
Box Office: $28 million Budget: $4 million 8
Animated short films
An ordinary blue Monday
Filmmaker: Naomi Van niekerk
Year: 2014
Country: South Africa
Duration: 3 min 24
Technique: 2D
Production studio: Nita Cronje
Distributor: the valvers
Budget: $2400
A difference in duration is felt. The feature films broadcast
are around 85 min while the shorts are less than 10 min.
Digital technology is becoming the new distribution medium
for short films.
Among the most famous productions, there is
a preference for 3D techniques in feature
films and 2D in very short format. Filmmaker: Blackheart Gang
Year: 2006
In addition, the budgets devoted to the Country: Zimbabwe
production of these short films are very low Duration: 5 min
or even non-existent. This complicates the Technique: 2d
valuation of this type of work. The production
Production studio: Blackheart Gang
of very short formats is generally used for
communication in festivals. Budget: 0
Box office: $4265
9
 Behaviours of the audience in theatres
3 criteria are relevant in the consumption of
films in cinemas:
Age: The behaviours observed by Claude Forest
(2011) reveal that to be interested in film in
adulthood, one would have to have developed
this culture during childhood or adolescence. In
other words, a lot of content must be offered to
children and teenagers to ensure sustainable
consumption of cinema
Income and education level: these same
observations reveal that the higher the
purchasing power or education level of the
population, the higher the cultural and
intellectual capital it has. This allows him to
enjoy activities such as movies in theatre.
Housing: the larger the city, the larger the
population. The need for entertainment and
occupation is also greater. This increases the
probability of having cinemas in this city
because the market will be receptive; hence the
concentration of cinemas in the capitals.
10
The main operators
8 theatres in 7 countries including
Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Tunisia
Niger, Benin, Togo According to PwC, the 130
90,000 tickets sold in 2017 large screens in some 30 complexes in
Africa generated revenues of $95
3 rooms in Côte d'Ivoire million in 2015.
75,000 tickets in 2015, Concerts, shows and corporate
Ivory
175,000 tickets in 2016
Coast
Cameroon rentals contribute to this profitability, in
addition to the sale of cinema tickets,
3 theatres in Kinshasa which increases over time.
1 in Lubumbashi Congo
A recent study (2018) carried
110,000 tickets sold in 2017 Kinshasa out by Omedia shows that in a city like
Abidjan, more than 8 out of 10 people
8 theatres in Tunisia in 2019 are interested in the arrival of new
150 films to be screened per year theatres. The need is evident.
48 screenings planned per day

418 screens (58 complexes in South Africa) in South

2010 Africa
31 5 32 913 tickets sold in 2017 that is 70%
of the South African production market 11
African film making With a baseline of 10,000 euros per minute, we know
In the 1990s, Africa had nearly 1300 film
theatres. With the advent of television, a sharp
that 80 minutes of animation in Europe cost an average
decrease in their attendance was felt. In addition, high
of 800,000 euros in production costs. In Africa, 80 min
can be worth 35 thousands or 15 million euros no
entry taxes are suffocating operators.
matter how complex the production may be. The early 2000s marked the end of the last
What justifies this disparity? theatres. Other models have been developed since
2003. Thus, digital cinema in Africa has made more
than 5,000 screenings for millions of viewers.
Since 2015, new investors such as Vivendi
The production of 80-minute animated feature or Groupe Majestic have been providing rooms that
films takes between 5 and 7 years. Depending on meet international standards and can accommodate at
the budget, this production can involve between 10 least 200 people per session. Their business model is
and 120 people. It is the funding that determines based on complexes that offer better quality services
the pace of production. There is a rush to shorter (comfortable seats, large screens).
formats that allow teams to be more competitive in Supply is better thought out but remains
the market. generally lower than demand. This gives each actor the
opportunity to set its own rules in an environment
The average price of the entrance ticket is where the government hardly intervenes.
estimated at 7.60 euros in the theatre. Depending
on the outflows and currencies, it can vary between
3 and 10 euros. The disparity in prices helps to
highlight the limits of an industry where the
theatre is a minority share of the market.
12
Audiovisual

Panorama

Diffusion

Audience

Coproduction
13
Television, the media by excellence in Africa
In 2018, Africans were spending more time on television per
day than the rest of the world, according to a Kantar TNS study
conducted in 8 African countries and relayed by Canal+ Advertising.
Knowing that Africa had more than 700 free channels in 2017.

4h03 3h49 2h25 4h33

14
 The main African animation broadcasters
TV5MONDE Afrique is a TiVi5MONDE is a youth theme channel
general-interest channel received in at least
13,800,000 households (June 2015). The
channel is distributed by satellite, cable and
terrestrial for French-speaking Africa. It has
been available on DTT since 2009. Most of the
broadcasts are exclusive and co-financed by
TV5MONDE, which covers 300 million
households worldwide. The proposed
programmes promote the African presence in all
its forms and mention co-production projects.
The TV is supplemented by a web tv
tv5mondeplusafrique.com and a mobile
application tv5mondeafrique available on Apple
store and Google play.
for French-speaking and learning children from
the ages of 4 to 13. It broadcasts free-to-air in
French-speaking Africa on the SES4 satellite and
on channel 274 of the Canal+ offer. The TV is
supplemented by a catch-up service
tvi5mondeplus.com and an educational
playground offer jeunesse.tv5monde.com.
Broadcast in 40 African countries including Côte
d'Ivoire and also broadcast in the United States,
Tivi5monde hosts African productions of all
kinds. Like Tv5monde Afrique, Tivi5monde
benefits from TV5 monde's know-how to
promote the French language.
Gulli Africa is a youth theme channel
for children between the ages of 4 and 14. It
mainly offers series and is accessible on channel
74 of the channel+ packages. Available in 22
African countries including Benin, Cameroon,
Burkina Faso and Togo, the channel highlights
the continent's cultural identity. It also takes into
account the specificity of countries by adapting
the diffusion to their rhythm of life, their reality.
The grid proposed by Gulli Africa is exclusively
dedicated to African viewers. Gulli Africa is
number one in local diffusion in Africa according
to the Africascope 2018 study taken over by
Canal+ Advertising.
15
Current animation series
The production of animation TV series does not suffer from
the monopoly of South Africa like animated movies. Many
stakeholders stand out for their technicality and intention.
As in the rest of the world, audiovisual and cinematographic
animation are still dedicated to children.

Director: Adamou Waziri

Director: Hermann N'ganza Director: Cleng'a Ng'atigwa
Year: 2011
Year: 2015 Year: 2014
Country: Nigeria
Country: Ivory Coast Country: Tanzania
Duration: 7 min x -
Duration: 13 min x 26 Duration: 15 min x -
Technique: 2D
Technique: 3D Technique: 2D
Target: 0-6 years old
Target: Under 15 years of age Target: Under 10 years of age
Production studio: EVCL
Production studio: Afrika Toon Production studio: Ubongo Media
Distributor: Gravel road
Broadcaster: TV5 monde Afrique Broadcaster: Tanzania TV
Viewers: -
Televiewers: - Viewers: more than 2 million in Africa
16
Audience metrics in Africa
Audience is still very difficult to measure in many african countries.

Audience measurement in Africa is carried out through the involvement of stakeholders such as Médiamétrie, Omédia which is a
local operator and Marocmétrie (a Médiamétrie subsidiary based in Morocco).

The collection of information benefits from Médiamétrie's statistical, methodological and technological expertise, which makes it
possible to respond in a more relevant and targeted way to market expectations. Omedia, which has been operating mainly in
Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon for nearly 15 years, conducts quantitative and qualitative surveys for the media, telecoms and
agri-food sectors in 16 sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Omedia also provides investment monitoring and analysis services and
media planning advice in the context of advertising.

National broadcasters do not yet have the necessary resources to foster local production. International broadcasters and therefore
international productions benefit from this.

Without resorting to specific resources, national players can already leverage the potential of advertising markets that remain
under-invested. The deployment of daily and automatic television audience measurements is a key indicator of success. With DTT in
many African countries later, the proliferation of this type of audience measurement would give more weight to television in Africa.
With about 6 euros per month, the viewer is entitled to 40 TV channels. This represents real savings for the actors, knowing that it
takes about 1 million euros to cover a major metropolitan area. 17
 The main vendors
- 23 years on the market Under negotiation with the M6
- Present in 50 countries group: reinforcement on
- 5 bouquets and 2 channels non-linear television (TVOD and
Technologies (mobile, platform, SVOD: replay and online
VOD): PVR decoder, DVB-T2 and subscription)
DVB-H systems, 3G streaming

- 17 years on the market

- 17 years on the market
- Present in 30 countries
- Present in 40 countries
- Satellite package
- Satellite package
- Call Center
Technologies (mobile, platform,
- Dubbing centre
VOD): decoder, DVB-H and
Technologies (mobile, platform,
DVB-T2 systems, DLP solar
VOD): DTT without decoder, DLP solar
television, 3G
TV, 3G

According to a Digital TV Research study published in 2018 and reported by La tribune, pay-TV revenues in Africa will reach around $6.64
billion by 2023. An opportunity to be seized knowing that this sector needs dedicated sales representatives. 18
Internet situation in Africa

In 2019, Africa had nearly 530 million Internet users out of a population of 1.3 billion people. In 2017, it was the continent with the highest growth rate of Internet users
according to the 2018 We are social report. This growth is explained by the high consumption via mobile phones and the development of the broadband network on the
continent, which is gradually reducing the cost of data. Despite high tariffs (a giga of mobile data in sub-Saharan Africa at an average of $7.00/€5.96 in 2018) and an average
purchasing power that is still low, Cisco forecasts growth of at least 65% per year until 2021. In response to this demand, the players need the speed and flexibility of 5G,
which will generate 10.7 times more traffic than 3G. Currently, the majority of African countries still navigate between 3G and 4G. Only South Africa is gradually providing 5G,
while Ericsson's 2018 report expected Africa to have 5G from 2022 onwards. 19
Telecommunications get involved

French mobile phone operator,
working in Africa for more than 20 years. It
offers boxes (Flybox, Airbox, Funbox) for 4G
internet access at home.
Orange enables its subscribers to watch
mobile TV (25 channels), films and series on
demand (catalogue of 900 videos) thanks to its
Orange TV application.
South African mobile phone
operator that has also been operating in
Africa for more than 20 years. Mtn offers a
range of very extensive TV packages (70
channels) and divided into themes
(entertainment, debates, youth...). The
operator also offers films and series on
demand for a specific period of time (day,
week, month).
Indian mobile phone operator,
which has been operating in Africa for about
10 years. Airtel offers more than 350 live TV
channels, more than 10,000 movies and
more than 100 TV shows via its mobile
application or online platform. The
services offered are on demand.

Telecommunications operators are expanding into the market by offering the same services as those offered in the rest of the world. They have added mobile payment services
that allow them to control the finances and data of unbanked subscribers. The challenge lies in the maintenance, availability and deployment of infrastructure & networks in a
harmonised way across Africa. There are wide disparities between countries in terms of prices (1 GB costs between 3 and 35 dollars depending on the country) and in terms of offers
mainly concentrated in urban areas. An Ecobank report published in 2018 and taken up by Jeune Afrique, presented about fifteen African countries (out of 54) with between 4 and 9
operators. Electricity and infrastructure require investments in rural areas that would be unprofitable. This is why a majority of countries have fewer than 4 operators.
20
 Internet consumption via devices

The PC and tablet market has entered a phase of depression according to IDC's analysis (2017) taken up by La tribune. A decrease of more than 8% in
2017 was recorded, representing a decrease of 6 million units. The smartphone is positioned as a key player in communication and information research. The
penetration rate was 82% for 1.040 billion mobile connections recorded on the continent in 2017 according to the We are social 2018 report. According to a
Deloitte study analysed by Le Monde, the number of smartphone owners in Africa is expected to reach 660 million in 2020. In addition to the initiatives already in
place, entrepreneurs are proposing alternatives to promote access to the African population that does not yet own mobile terminals: the manufacture of
smartphones made in Africa, the development of solar-powered mobile masts, etc.

To benefit from the promotions, Africans who own them have as many smartphones as there are mobile operators in their respective countries. In addition, Africa is
the continent with the most millennia inhabitants (60% of its population on average, or more than 500 million Africans out of 2.3 billion millennia in the world).
This population is characterized by its appetite for digital devices, fashion effects, immediacy and originality. But their average consumption of mobile Internet in
Africa remains rudimentary (consulting web pages, social networks, voice, messaging, music). This can reduce the figures for the number of users by half. It is
important to distinguish between Internet consumption and the number of unique mobile Internet users because more than 500 million Africans still live below
the poverty line (i.e. on -$2 a day).
21
Consumption via social networks Nearly 250 million active
African users in July 2019
(46%)
221 million African subscribers
(17% of the African population;
48.7% of African Internet users;
+ over 90% mobile connectivity)

48.1 million African subscribers

(3.7% of the African population)

Médianet labs' estimates on the use of social networks in

Africa in 2018, helped to extrapolate the number of African
subscribers on Facebook and Instagram. This extrapolation,
combined with the Internet user population, enables us to
estimate the number of active Internet users on social
networks via mobile phones at 238.5 million (45%) in
July 2019.

The analyses of We are social 2019 show a penetration rate

of 40% in North Africa, followed by South Africa with 38%.
Central, West and East Africa are at 7%, 12% and 8%
respectively.
Facebook and Youtube are the most used networks by Africans between June 2018 and June 2019. The
activity on these 2 networks is a mirror activity. The decrease in one is equivalent to the increase in
22
consumption of the other over this period, according to the statcounter graph.
 International
Most of the successful content such as Ubongo
kids, Khumba etc. is deployed in many French and
English-speaking African countries (Kenya, Uganda,
Nigeria) and is also distributed in Europe (Portugal,
Belgium, France, Netherlands) and America (Brazil,
United States, Canada).
Since they cannot benefit from government support,
producers would rather develop commercial series,
hence the competitiveness of African countries at the
series level. Teams have a penchant for co-production
because it allows them to obtain subsidies and bring
external perspectives to the production. Triggerfish
(South Africa) has established partnerships with Disney
studios. The works of Ubongo Media (Tanzania) are
broadcasted on the Chinese satellite channel Star
Swahili.
The particularity of these partnerships is that
international broadcasters invest in
pre-purchase/pre-order with renewable contracts.
For the time being, African productions on
these channels represent less than 20% of the
broadcast programs in Africa. The co-producer quota
varies according to the country and team. For a similar
work, it can go from 20% of funding to 80%. This also
affects the frequency and quality of productions that are
irregular. The works are sometimes purchased by
organizations such as the French Institute or Goethe
Institute for distribution in cultural centres that are not
very popular in Africa.
International transactions around African animation are
still classic and just enable to make the investment
profitable.
23
Video & New media

Video-clubs

Web platforms

Netflix

Video games

Virtual reality 24
The video store business model in Africa
When cinemas in Africa closed in the 1990s, the surviving exhibitors operated according to the video-club model.
Video games are more popular in these rooms. The lack of legally obtained content does not encourage the prosperity of the
activity. The advent of digital technology has led to a rethinking of the business model. It is possible to record content in VCD
and DVD format that can be easily duplicated. This promotes the development of piracy in Africa. The contents are first
centered around Nollywood, then extend to foreign productions. The network of informal sellers is becoming dense. To limit
piracy, the distribution of local works was controlled for a while. Faced with a lack of rooms, audiovisual content and low
purchasing power, people are succumbing quickly to physical accessibility, availability to all markets and sidewalks and
low cost. Thus, it is difficult to obtain total control over revenues and to regulate the market in such a way as to ensure that
activity flourishes over time.

It is therefore natural that digital technology relocates a large part of these video stores and creates streaming
platforms. This requires some leaders in this sector to formalize their activity and define sales, distribution and/or production
strategies. But piracy remains a common practice. Video stores converted into streaming platforms support indoor activities
(home, group space). This complicates the task for new theatre operators who are looking to expand into the market and leaves
a gap for duplicate formats. Handmade poster made by
an African video store
Some video game studios are trying to develop the industry on the continent by offering quality products in arcades.
For the time being, it is the populations of the diaspora who are reacting positively. We are still far from a profitable
specification of video-club activities around entertainment in Africa. 25
 Video streaming
Nigerian company (60 employees) Franco-Cameroonian company (10 employees)
Broadcasting: on mobile and computer Diffusion: mobile, PC, tablet
- Offers an application that allows content -Distribution: 2000 hours of films and series
to be downloaded without going through (subscription 6.99 euros)
the telephone operators (monthly -Partners: TF1, Orange, Bouygues
subscription 2.3 euros) Suspension of activities since Q4 2017: lack of a
-Film, series and animation production viable economic model, lack of knowledge of the
-Partner: Canal+ strategy for transforming an ecosystem
More than 10,000 hours of local content

Kenyan company (10 employees)

South African company
Distribution: mobile (subscription 6 euros)
Diffusion: tablet, mobile, tv, console, xbox, pc
-Distribution: films, animations,
-Distribution of films and series (subscription
documentaries
10.5 euros)
-Production: mini comedy series
-Multichoice spin-off
-Partner: Trace TV
Partner: SEACOM
Approximately 60,000 hours of local content
More than 10,000 hours of local content

The animation industry in Africa is under construction. Young African animators use the Internet not only as a means of acquiring technical skills, but also as a tool to present their
own animation and generate collaborations. This is how we count a few flagship platforms. Many web and mobile platforms are born and die every day in Africa. About forty players
are competing for this market. The local content broadcast is mainly in real shooting (Nollywood, Hollywood, etc.). 26
Netflix is everywhere
Like the broadcasters already established on the African continent, when it arrived in 2015, Netflix acquired and
broadcast local works in order to attract the African market as well. The company first established itself in South Africa and then
expanded its offer to 54 countries in 2016. To avoid competing with Nollywood and pursue its global strategy, the company is
embarking on the co-production of original African content. Despite the Internet connection problems facing the African
continent, this strategy will enable Netflix to register around 2 million subscribers in 2018. The giant is setting up partnerships
with telecommunications operators to obtain packages dedicated to its streaming platform. Its research and development team
has found a way to optimize streaming from an encoding system that varies pixel density from one shot to another. This
initiative is in a way affected by the high supply of Internet connections, which has an impact on Netflix's offer (around €9.4 per
month). Despite all its efforts to conquer the African market, Netflix must deal with piracy.

In line with its approach, the platform will add to its catalogue its first African animated series "Mama K's Team 4". To do
this, the company has signed agreements with South African Triggerfish and British distributor CAKE, which also include
Zambian scriptwriter Malenga Mulendema and Cameroonian graphic designer Malcolm Wope. The giant is surrounded by a
multicultural team to be able to address the market over the long term and offer content that satisfies as many people as
possible. The broadcast of this animation series is announced for 2020.

Mama K's Team 4 presents the daily lives of 4 teenage girls living in a futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia. In the spirit of Totally
Spies but in an African version, they are recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world.
27
Video game studios in Africa There are barely about ten video game studios
across Africa. The African public is not yet very
receptive to this type of production.

Originally from South Africa, the company offers:
-Many games on PC, console and virtual reality
-Products: Broforce, Genital Jousting, Gorn, the
expendabros
Series production: Game jam island
type: combat, sport
Main audience: United States, Europe and China
Nearly 20 employees in 2019
As part of the animation, the Cameroonian
company proposes:
- 1 Aurion 2D action game on PC and Xbox
- 1 Comic strip derived from the game (more
than 25K online readings and 40K downloads in
2018) available on Amazon from August 2019
- Development of games on mobile phones
- Animated advertising services
Audience: Europe, Africa, North America
More than 20 employees in 2019
Originally from Nigeria, the company offers:
-Creation and development of games on PC and
console
genre: action / role-playing
Main audience: Africa, Anglo-Saxon countries
Between 11 and 50 employees
28
 The consumption of virtual reality
Initially used for video games (in Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco), virtual reality is now operating in Africa in many fields such
as mines, medicine, education, culture and tourism. It is a technology that creates a world in which a person can immerse themselves
and act to some extent. This universe can be a film, a video game, any 3D universe created for different purposes. The user can access it
via a specially designed headset. In Africa, virtual reality is being used to promote art in an original and more immersive way to the
audience. For the moment, it is curiosity that drives Africans to test the immersive experiences offered in the few arcades on the
continent. This is another device to which artists could deploy when headsets are more accessible. The development of content in local
languages and the acquisition of materials are the points that are currently slowing down usage.

However, in 2002, UNESCO supported an initiative to deploy virtual reality for training in Uganda. The report presented at the
IICBA seminar held in pretoria proposed at that time an extension through a pan-African network for the development of virtual reality in
education. This is to say how Africa is not to be outdone. Some creators representing Senegalese, Kenyan and Sudanese origins
produced short films broadcasted at the new images festival in Paris in 2018. Ownlabs (based in Senegal), which won the Ericsson
innovation award in May 2018, presented its virtual reality science laboratory at Vivatech 2018.

Augmented reality is still in its infancy in Africa. Other technologies such as artificial intelligence or blockchain are not anchored
in the audiovisual and film industry. African initiatives around animation are still awaited although the audiovisual value chain presents
an environment where the milestones seem to have been set.

29
Audiovisual value chain in Africa
Production Edition Aggregation Distribution Device
Announceurs
3G/4G/5G Pc
Channel Tablet
Flow: Distrib TV:
Advertising VOD Tradi Telco TV Smartphone
Broadcasts Web
...
Mobile

Viewers
Social
network TV Cable game
Services Youtube
on Facebook Consoles
demand Headsets
Stock: Bouquet Satellite
Series
Films Distrib
DVD
Theater Player
... Cinema Platform
networks Video
Theatre
operator

Streamlined model made by Danielle BEBEY (07/19) 30

Contents

Culture

Needs

References

Rights
31
Cultural over-representation
Most of the works are adaptations of stories.
These stories represent the richness of African
culture and allow the new generation to identify
with the characters. This is a key selling point
but is not enough to convince a large audience.
Productions need more fluidity and depth in
staging.
The special focus is on dramatic narrative, often social
or political. Through this approach, artists wish to
emancipate populations. On the other hand, this
could mean that Africans only know this representation
of the world from their history. This justifies the fact
that the emphasis is often placed on the African
atmosphere to the detriment of the construction of a
more engaging scenario.
Many local languages are highlighted in the
works. Original versions in Hausa, Igbo and
Yoruba can be seen translated and/or subtitled in
other languages for the African continent and its
diaspora. We can also see English versions with
subtitles in local languages to address the
Anglo-Saxon market in order to promote African
culture in the world.
32
Market needs: a diversity of content
According to TV5monde's analysis at the end of the Annecy animation festival, African cartoons are on the rise. It is therefore an opportunity to promote the know-how and
wealth of African culture. In 2018, the global animation market amounted to US$259 billion and is expected to reach US$ 270 billion by 2020. Animation is a very lucrative
activity, consumers increasingly expect higher quality graphics in games, better visual effects in movies and a more immersive consumer experience (statistica 2019). It is
therefore important to learn to produce with regard to successful works and their audience. Investment does not always justify the success of the works. In addition to the
technique, it must allow us to align ourselves with themes and scenarios that appeal to and can be adapted to the African context, such as:

History Adventure Sciences fiction Action Parodies

33
Some references of animation series
Year: 1990
Genre: socio-political
format: series 5 min x 48
Technique: 2D
Production studio: K.A. production
Broadcasting: National channels
Year: 1998
Type: adventure
Duration of broadcast: 9 years
Technique: 2D
Production studio: ERTU (Egyptian
Radio and Television Union)
Broadcasting: Arab channels
Year: 1995
Genre: adventure
Format: 26X26 series
Technique: 2D image/image
Production studio: Marathon
productions
Broadcasting: National channels
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Intellectual property/copyright
Africa has about 19 public collective management bodies for copyright and related rights in addition to OAPI, which deals with
African intellectual property. There are also private companies such as SONECA in Congo. The rules established concerning
creations follow the international conventions on protectable works, the various copyrights and the minimum term of
protection since 1971. As regards the assignment of rights and publishing contracts, the legislation is specific to each country.
To add a layer of complexity, the Bangui Agreement of 1999 proposes regional legislation that can sometimes be in contradiction with
national legislation. For example, a commissioned work may belong to its author under national law and to the author's employer
under regional law. This limits the expansion of publishing on the continent.

Only Anglophone Africa seems to be more assiduous in terms of compliance with author-friendly legislation. They modelled the
American, Canadian and Australian models. For a work with several authors, it is difficult to establish rights with conventions that do
not converge; especially since sanctions are not really applied. Thus, the authors would rather register with organizations such as
SACEM and SACD that truly represent the interests of international members. The costs of protection with these organizations are in
foreign currencies and therefore heavy to bear. For those who are unable to do so, they sell their rights to foreign co-producers. This
dynamic contributes to the individualization and frustration of African initiatives.

35
Education & Employment

Training
category

The wage bill

36
The educational climate of animation in Africa
Only a handful of institutions in Africa can deliver a degree in animation. These institutions mainly train graphic designers and animators. The animation school, the most
prestigious in Africa, located in South Africa and one of the top 20 animation schools in the world, has been offering training since 2000. There is therefore a lack of training in
animation production, distribution and scriptwriting.
Given the lack of encouragement for creative initiatives and the low purchasing power of the African population, not all talents can benefit from these diplomas. Artists generally
come from other backgrounds such as computer science, management control, letters, etc. because African parents do not believe in the film industry and animation industry at all.
So the artists finally turn into animation out of passion or obstinacy. To be trained they proceed as follows:
- self-training through free online tutorials such as triggerfish academy, which introduce the principles of storytelling, storyboarding and animation
- participation in seminars or training workshops offered by producers on the continent
- expatriation abroad to follow qualifying training courses (France, England, United States) and come back to share the experience on the continent
Despite these paths, Africa only has a few hundred identified talents (digital lab 2018) in animation. This is insufficient given the demand and when we know that France, for
example, 2nd in this industry in 2018, has more than 6000 people.
From a gender perspective, in many African countries there is an under-representation (80/20) of women in animation, unlike Western countries such as France, where the
proportion of women women on open-ended contracts from French schools is close to men's (49/51).

37
 Employment in animation
As animation studios are commercial companies, they are regulated by the clauses of the OHADA agreement (Organisation
for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa). There are therefore laws that present rights and obligations to actors. Because
of the absence of follow-up, it is ultimately the most aware and influential who lead the way.
Employees do not often benefit from insurance or official holidays. In order to be able to keep their jobs, they are obliged to
ignore these breaches. The fact that supply exceeds demand does not encourage wage increases. Even foreigners do not
benefit from their situation as expatriates and enter this same movement. It is the budget obtained that defines the quality of the
work, the teams to be mobilized and the duration of this mobilization.
- A work like "minga et la cuillère cassée" (80 min in 2D) mobilized 50 people including actors, dancers and graphic
designers for 3 years with 38 100 euros.
- The production of the feature film "pokou, princess ashanti" (65 min in 3D), for its part, brought together 10 people for
2 years for a budget of 150 000 euros.

Some studios such as Pictoon offer seasonal jobs. They have a permanent and reduced team of 10 to 20 people. The sign-up of
major projects can lead them to increase their staff by a factor of 10. Knowing that the average minimum wage in half of the
African countries is around 100 euros, it is difficult for many stakeholders not to cumulate several jobs. Especially since there
is also a disparity between countries and all sectors: in 2018, the average salary was 930 euros in Gabon, 140 in Nigeria, 110 in
Cameroon and 70 euros in Burkina Faso.

The work environment in Africa is not very good overall. Animation will not escape it. According to the International Labour
Organisation, 4.5% of the African population is unemployed and 60% of them are young people. This rate may seem low. But in
truth it is not. Many Africans are in the informal sector because unemployment is not an option. Especially since it is not even
supervised in Africa, unlike in Europe. 38
The opening of an animation studio in Africa
After several unsuccessful applications in local studios, talents generally embark on entrepreneurship with freelance status. This is
how we find graphic designers with caps of producer, animator and scriptwriter. The latter find themselves, with transversal skills but
not always embedded.
For the establishment of their studio, most entrepreneurs use their own savings. It is difficult for them to get direct financing from
banks. Current financing mechanisms are insufficient or deficient: few loan guarantees, few public subsidies, no honorary lending
platform. While startup support structures are developing, the financial tools for this type of structure are very limited. The studios
created are registered in the commercial register in the same way as a supermarket. It is the entrepreneurs who do their own work.
This encroaches on the time spent for production. Without any experience or support, some projects are aborted.
In addition, the setting of an animation studio requires an investment in hardware and animation software in addition to human
resources. Entrepreneurs must purchase the software with foreign currency. Some say they have to hack in order to be able to
provide quality work with tools such as AUTODESK 3DSMAX which can cost up to 1 million FcFA or 1500 euros. The creation of a
Studio such as Pictoon required an investment of 152,000 euros.
The electricity problems encountered in Africa are in addition to the other difficulties. This makes network infrastructures fragile
overall, but even more so in small studios. Some entrepreneurs therefore partner with studios with a higher profile or work as
freelancers in renowned studios and pursue their activity in parallel for a more effective development strategy.
The economic and legal climate does not always allow you to surround yourself with investors and many employees.

39
Financing support in animation

Eco-system

Personas

Financing

Government
40
 The main animation networks in Africa
Activities: support, promotion, purchase
and sale of African works; conferences,
workshops, networking
Works presented: comics, animated films, games and Activities: support, promotion,
virtual reality films produced by Africans purchase and sale of works;
5000 guests in 2017 conferences, workshops, networking,
exhibition

Network: 49 African countries, more than 200
purchasing companies, 300 independent producers,
100 distributors, 50 peripheral companies
Network: 45,000 visitors, 212 exhibitors and nearly 400 media in 2018
Works presented: pop culture, including cosplay, comics, manga, movies
and series, games (video and esports) and books/authors, animation
entertainment, toys, gadgets, clothing, card games, webcomics, and
fantasy novels
Network: access to information on many regional
networks such as AAFFIA, FFAA, FINMAC, ICON,
NAICCON... and international networks such as
MIFA, Discop monde, etc.
41
Personas
Marketplaces have developed to promote animation production. But they are mainly aimed at those who
already have background or experienced operators. However, several scenarii arise that require financing
at all levels of the value chain.

The diaspora/returnee/repat Citizens

1. I want to participate in the evolution of the 1. There is no funding but I have the satisfaction of
continent remotely while earning my living here doing what I love
2. I plan to go to the field but I'm afraid of being 2. Government does not do what it has to do, so we
ripped off and I don't even know where to start adapt to the system
3. I've been in the field for a while. Contrary to what 3. We have achieved this without training or funding
people think, we still manage to get by with this support
system

42
 Typology of grants for financing artworks
Public funds

Public grant
<40% of the total cost of production
Support Fund for
Africa

International
co-production

Private funds Investment banks

Calls for projects

Support mechanisms exist for the financing of works in Africa although the choices are not overwhelming and the conditions are not very advantageous. The lack of sector
studies limits visibility on the profitability of projects and therefore of investments, particularly public funds. Public funds are intended for producers, authors and directors. Private
funds are aimed at all talents on various productions such as video games, virtual reality, traditional animation, web creation, music, etc. According to the counters, the requirements
are not the same. This further complicates this approach for artists for whom equity and grants are more important in total production investment.
43
What about the government?
In 2012, when Claude Forest published "Le cinéma en Afrique: l'impossible industrie", he had already pointed out
the problems of the film industry in Africa. He even had fun proposing solutions. But a few years later, these same
problems persist. In some countries such as Tanzania, until very recently producers paid to be broadcast on
television. The animation, whose devices are younger, is obliged to align itself with this operation. A self-taught animator
and computer scientist by training has yet to find himself producing and negotiating the marketing of his work without
support.

The Government, which should assume the role of regulator, is just observing and takes advantages of the
system's possibilities (corruption, fraud, embezzlement). The legal framework, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is poorly
regulated. In some countries such as Mali, the government simply hosts the project as an administrative structure. From a
tax point of view, this framework is still not very advantageous. It does not attract investors.

However, the market is more mature than in 2012. Demand is evident, infrastructure is developing, private financial
mechanisms are being deployed. But the people in Africa are themselves more competitive than cooperative. Faced
with the difficulty, developed countries unite, harmonize trade to be competitive. Some, such as France and Belgium, which
went through these periods of anarchy at the end of the 20th century, have finally put in place a legal arsenal that
encourages the development of an audiovisual landscape that has been mentioned as example.

What is the risk for Africa to proceed on the same path with its own economic models?
44
SWOT & Recommandations

SWOT

Consolidated Swot

Recommandations

45
 SWOT of African animation
Opportunities
- An increase in demand
- Diaspora involvement and growing democracy
- A growing middle class
- Rapid growth (economy, demographics, urbanization)
- A low production cost that allows a high profit margin
- A proposal for single currencies (ECOWAS ECO or AFRO crypto currency) for
free trade between regions
- International recognition of the potential in animation
- A presence of major operators that stimulate local production, the improvement
of players and the spirit of competitiveness
Threats
- An adoption of Western models in the proposal of educational content, which
maintains the problem of identity
- A difficulty in pooling effective resources
- A lack of creative education supported by low levels of entrepreneurship,
management and leadership in the arts and culture sector
- Unreliable infrastructure
- Poor governance
- Low purchasing power and physiological needs that are still very high

Strengths Weaknesses
- A dense and young population (workforce) - An undeveloped industry overall
- A diversity of talents (potential) - A lack of offer structuring
- A diversity of stories, traditions, languages (content) - A lack of appropriate editing channels
- A mobile payment option and deployment of m-commerce (mobile) - A lack of skills dedicated to the financial aspect of production, scriptwriting,
- A diversity of religions and official languages due to colonization that are assets management (education in general)
for communicating with the West (English, Spanish, Arabic) - A lack of sector studies and information on the activity in general
- A visible motivation of some countries for development - An interest for small scale projects 46
 Consolidated SWOT: first steps for improvement
Opportunities
Strengths: springboard
- The implementation of a single currency
will make it possible to address growing
demand and pay talent on the continent
more fairly
- The development of mobile payment
solves the need for studies through data
collection
- Cultural diversity makes it possible to
face foreign competition that has little or
no control over local communication codes
- The motivation of citizens and the
diaspora can converge more closely
- Knowledge of foreign languages will
make it possible to attract the West at a
lower cost
Weaknesses: rampart
- An undeveloped industry that could evolve
with demand, the multiplicity of
international players and a recognition of
works in the world
- A lack of skills that automatically gives a
competitive advantage to new foreign
players and widens the gap with those who
have been established for years
- A lack of reliable information on the
sector that limits investment and similarly
the recognition of African art within and
outside the continent
Threats
Strengths: breach
- Motivations can generate lobbying to
address the need for training and
purchasing power
- The proposal of derivative products and
the diversification of content can help to
attract the middle class and in the long
term public policies for the regulation and
control of activities in the sector
- The motivations of existing actors can
contribute to the proposal of content that
will attract the middle class
- Mobile payment can contribute to the
mutualization of information across the
continent
Weaknesses: impediments
- Lack of skills leads talents to copy foreign
models that do not apply to Africa and
enhances continued dependence on
external investment
- The unstructured nature of the offers
reinforces poor governance
- The unreliability of infrastructure can
push the potential audience towards
foreign competition and counterfeiting
- The reluctance of the middle classes
towards offers can encourage talent on
small projects
47
 Recommandations
Partnerships
- Development of educational platforms translated into several languages, which
pool local know-how and are associated with workshops or physical seminars
to train even more talent on the continent and develop the industry
- Establishment of sustainable partnerships with schools of production,
scriptwriting and graphic design abroad that wish to set up exchange policies
with Africa (collaboration)
- Development of partnerships to obtain special rates for Africa for intellectual
property registered abroad, as well as for animation software licenses
Communication
- Development of a communication policy that highlights successes, awards,
recognitions, etc. and allows the public to be more informed about workload,
intentions, efforts, etc.
- Reinforcement of communication costs around markets (festival) to encourage
more enthusiasm and vocations
- Diversification of content and screenplays in order to engage a wider audience
and strengthen the animation culture on the continent
Investments
- Development of a sales policy that promotes local productions by broadcasting
foreign works at higher costs
- Greater investment in sectorial studies
- Strengthening individual initiatives of private investors and development of
mentoring for more beneficiaries
- Establishment of a multicultural consortium to facilitate the preparation of
sector studies to be presented to investors. Countries where information is
more accessible can act as reference for others, for additional inputs
(cooperation)
- Increasing investment in the development of profitable channels (mobile,
television)
Public policies
- Meeting of international organizations such as UNESCO, OIF with development
plans for the South to be better supported
- Soliciting external public funding through the involvement of foreign producers,
directors, authors and/or diaspora associations
- Strengthening reforms that promote growth through the private sector through
tax incentives, for example
48
In summary
In an RMB study of African countries in which it is interesting to invest in 2019, there are also countries that are
advanced in animation. Cross-referencing studies can help actors to present figures on the animation market. This capture
of the African animation market shows that it has a foundation and is supported by initiatives, which are certainly scattered but
present. Many meeting places are emerging but do not communicate enough to generate more interest. The cultural diversity of
the 54 countries limits the harmonization of reforms. In the face of clear demand, supply is not in a position to respond
adequately. Several projects are to be implemented: those of training which will forge a spirit of competitiveness and a better
mastery of management, financing files or just cost management; those of partnerships between the diaspora and local
stakeholders who still see themselves as competitors; those of digital technology combined with mobile technology for more
fluid broadcasting...
Contrary to appearances, the populations of West and East Africa constitute more than 60% of the African population. Central
Africa accounts for about 12%, North Africa for 19% and Southern Africa for 5% (UN, 2014). This means to which countries
efforts should be more focused.
Speculation placed Africa and Europe at a distance in which centuries passed. With animation, digital and future developments in
other fields, it is now only a few decades. The real barrier today is the mentality, whereas only yesterday we talked about means.
But this strategic white paper, drawn from documentary resources, proves that this is a formality where only insiders and the
privileged have the secret for the moment.
This document is the first in a series of analyses and observations of the African animation market. Additional editions will
follow in order to promote the various recommendations.
At the end of this reading, I thank you for taking the time to read these writings. Looking forward to sharing! RMB ranking: where to invest in Africa in 2019
49
“Be careful of what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that will
suffocate the life of your dream.
Spray them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a
problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to make your dream come true. “
Lao Tzu

50
Special thanks to

Emile Bini Alois Agboglo Patrick Digbeu Manuelly Leshika

2D Graphic Designer 2D Animator Scriptwriter 2D/3D Animator
Ivory Coast Benin Ivory Coast Congo Brazza

Dramane Minta Yvan Dassie Doh Daiga Adamah Hanvi

3D Animator 3D Animator Producer 2D animation filmmaker
Mali Cameroon Burkina Faso Togo 51
 References
For more information
or
Enrichment
contact

Danielle Bebey

https://daniellebebey.com
52