EDITORIAL
Spark is a new magazine dedicated to African animation. One of the first to address the sector head-on, with structure and ambition.
The magazine was born from a simple observation: African animation is undergoing a major shift. It remains under-documented, but it is clearly determined to claim its place on the global stage. There was a need for a space to talk about it clearly and honestly.
In Spark, we choose to put the difficult topics on the table.We tackle the issues that make people uncomfortable: the paradox of African animation, the limits of its current economic models, and the structural fragilities the sector still faces.
But Spark is also about what’s moving forward. The actions that matter, such as the success of the Crocodile Dance animated feature crowdfunding campaign led by Shofela Coker.
The initiatives that work, the promising projects, and the latest industry developments. We look at the realities on the ground, including the challenges faced by animation technicians across the continent, as well as the opportunities available to professionals.
Alongside this, we make room for freer spaces. Analysis, humor, and in particular the comic strip The Notes, which captures those improbable situations only animation professionals will recognize.
Spark is 28 pages of business, creative and cultural perspectives, published monthly. Because African animation deserves to be seen, understood and taken seriously. Akwaba* to Spark.
Adja Soro
CEO of Studio KÄ
* Akwaba means Welcome in Baoulé, a tribe from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
MASTHEAD
SPARK – Issue 1
February, 2026
Publisher
Studio KÄ Côte d’Ivoire Cocody,
Abidjan – Rue L119, Immeuble Espoir
Publisher and Managing Director
Adja Mariam Soro
Editor-in-Chief
Adja Mariam Soro
Content and Editorial Lead
Exaucée Myckamona
Contributors
Shofela Coker
Ani Eliam
Minta Dramane
Anthony Silverston
Moky Makura
Daniel Atchali
Art Direction and Layout
John Meledje
Antoine Kingsley
Digital Edition
Online publication only – not printed
Contact
Studio KÄ SAS
Social Media
Instagram: @SparkAnim
LinkedIn: @SparkAnim
© 2026 – Studio KÄ
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the publisher.
SUMMARY
Feature .04
The African Animation Paradox
In Conversation With .10
Shofela Coker
On the ground .15
The Last Mile Film Fund
Inside The Job .18
Minta Dramane, 3D Animator
Project Spotlight.20
Crocodile Dance
Industry watch .24
February Events .25
The notes .27
Mind - blowing
THE AFRICAN ANIMATION PARADOX
African animation is at a turning point. Talents have never been so visible, projects so ambitious, or international recognition so strong. Yet behind this creative momentum lies a paradox: works celebrated abroad still struggle to reach audiences on the continent. This first Spark dossier explores this tension, between global recognition, economic realities, and distribution challenges, while questioning the strategic choices facing African animation producers today and outlining possible paths for renewed momentum in the sector.
At a crossroads: two possible paths for African animation producers
The African animation paradox is not due to a lack of creativity, ambition, or international relevance. The challenge lies in the very economic logic of the industry. International producers, who possess the industrial capacity and infrastructure required to produce high-quality animated content, operate in markets that are already vast, mature, and well-structured. For them, expanding into territories that are still unfamiliar, where distribution models are fragmented, audience data limited, and regulatory frameworks highly heterogeneous, offers little immediate incentive. There is, quite simply, no urgent reason to reinvent systems that already function efficiently at scale. This reality places African animation producers at a true strategic crossroads.
International alignment: a high-risk path with low probability
International alignment: a high-risk path with low probability For African animation producers who choose to align themselves with international production and financing structures, access to such partnerships is far from guaranteed. On the contrary, securing an international co-production often involves a long and uncertain journey, marked by cultural distances, market assumptions, and structural asymmetries.
African stories, characters, and contexts are still frequently perceived as “too specific” or insufficiently legible for Western or Asian audiences. Concerns related to cultural distance, audience identification, and commercial viability continue to limit the appetite of international producers, particularly in markets such as North America, Europe, or Asia, where animation industries are already highly competitive and strongly standardized.
As a result, African animation projects are often required to demonstrate levels of artistic excellence, technical quality, and narrative universality equivalent to those of Western productions, while operating with fewer resources and facing significantly higher barriers to entry. The material, human, and financial commitment demanded is comparable to that of established animation markets, even though the probabilities of success remain considerably lower.
In concrete terms, there are still very few widely recognized examples of “made in Africa” animated films that could today serve as a sufficiently solid economic argument to encourage non-African producers to take such a bet over the next five years. International co-productions involving African animation remain the exception rather than the norm.
This scarcity has turned international partnerships into a kind of Holy Grail for many African producers, a single perceived pathway, often seen as the only possible access to high-quality production. Every year, hundreds of African professionals walk the aisles of major international markets such as Cannes, Annecy, Cartoon Movie, and others, presenting their projects in the hope of being noticed, selected, or legitimized.
The paradox is striking. While African creators compete intensely for limited international attention, the continent represents one of the youngest and most dynamic audiences in the world. Demand exists. Viewers are present. Yet African production models continue to look outward, rather than toward the audiences closest to the stories being told.
And yet, Africa does not lack audiences, it lacks distribution strategies aligned with its uses.
African children from middle- and upper-class households now consume international animation under conditions comparable to those of Western children. Canal+, Netflix, YouTube Kids, TIVI5, Gulli… have already shaped their expectations in terms of quality, storytelling, and production.
In Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Morocco, or Nigeria, more than 70% of urban households have access to pay TV or connected television. Major international cinema releases (Avatar, Demon Slayer) regularly fill theaters in capitals such as Abidjan, Lagos, Nairobi, or Casablanca, despite a limited number of screens. The audience exists, and so does the appetite for animation. The problem, therefore, is not demand, but structured access to African works.
