On Saturday the 27th of January something amazing began in Zimbabwe. Animation is a burgeoning industry in Zimbabwe with a broad mix of professionals and enthusiasts just beginning to get their feet wet in the animation game. The industry is still a long way from reaching Hollywood levels but that hasn’t stopped local creatives from reaching for the stars.

Producer/ filmmaker Tendayi Nyeke is just one of those creatives and is embarking on her first animated project, a massive TV series project aimed to depose the likes of Avatar, Justice League and Voltron: The Legendary Defender from their positions as some of the best-animated series out there.

Tendayi teamed up with Tinodiwa Zambe Makoni (Illustrator/animator) to create this dream project which they dubbed TRIBE. With the support of The British Council in Zimbabwe, the project is geared to create a series bible and trailer to pitch for more funding.

In an effort to build the industry while they chase their dream, the TRIBE project has been designed to involve as many aspiring animators and filmmakers as possible throughout the process as a way to knowledge share. To that end on Saturday 27th, January Tendayi held a TRIBE Think Tank pulling in curious creatives to share ideas and weigh in on current scripts and directions.

The morning Think Tank shed light on tricky areas in the story development and potential new avenues for its growth. A healthy mix of ladies and gents ensured a broad perspective and most importantly reinforced how enjoyable the series already is in its pre-production stage.

Watch Tino and Tendayi talking about the Tribe project below.

Written by Tinodiwa Zambe Makoni

Tinodwia Zambe Makoni is an animator specialising in character design, conceptualisation, design for print, 2D animation, illustration, comic art, brand and identity design
and storyboarding. He is the founder of Cross Caption Comix (CCX), from which he published the first Zimbabwean Action Comic Book, MakAnimation Studios and Comexposed. 

Tendayi Nyeke is a Writer’s Guild of SA council member who has worked as a Development Executive on several SAFTA nominated shows and has written, produced and directed television programs across South Africa’s major broadcasters. Passionate about where art and business meet, Tendayi’s robust understanding and first-hand experience of all aspects of television production, coupled with her drive to contribute to a growing local film and television industry, has led to her current position of commissioning editor at the SABC.

Update 30/12/2023: Tendayi has gone on to produce a Kizazi Moto, an animated anthology of futuristic African sci-fi stories. The cover image is from Mukudzei, an episode from Kizazi Moto conceived and directed by Zimbabwean creatives, Tafadzwa Hove and Pious Nyenyewa.

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