The global entertainment industry is currently witnessing a significant pivot as African storytellers dismantle long-standing tropes through high-production animation and sophisticated literature. This movement, often described as a creative reclamation, ensures that the continent is no longer merely a setting for external narratives but a primary source of original, heroic, and intellectually stimulating content for children. As we enter early 2026, the influence of these creators has moved from the periphery to the center of major platforms like Max and Netflix, while literary institutions like the Children’s Africana Book Awards continue to elevate prose that honors the specificities of African life.
The Frontier of African Animation
1. Iyanu, Nigeria (2025): Ages 6 to 12
Iyanu is an epic animated series set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. The narrative follows an orphan girl who discovers she possesses divine abilities that have been absent for generations. She must navigate a world of wonder and peril to stop an ancient evil from consuming her home. The production serves as a landmark for West African representation in mainstream media.
The significance of this series for African American and continental African families is found in its meticulous attention to Yoruba culture. The show provides a visual and narrative bridge to ancestral traditions that were often suppressed in the diaspora. It presents empathy as a superpower, teaching children that true heroism is found in understanding and community.
Source: All-Nigerian Voice Cast Unveiled for ‘Iyanu’ Animated Series | Animation Magazine
Roye Okupe, the filmmaker behind the original graphic novel and the show’s executive producer, views the project as a necessary bridge between tradition and modern entertainment. Speaking with OkayAfrica regarding the show’s cultural weight, Okupe explained his dual mission of specificity and inclusion.
“I never want to get lost in the fact that you want to be very authentic to Nigerian culture, Yoruba culture, but I want children and adults all over the world to be able to see themselves in our characters,” Okupe stated.
- Where to Watch: Available on Max and Cartoon Network in the United States. In Nigeria and other African regions, the series is accessible via Showmax and local partner networks.
- Themes and Discussion: How does Iyanu use her powers to help others? What are the symbols in the kingdom that look like real African art?
- Quick Activity: Create a “Power Map” where children identify a personal strength, such as kindness or curiosity, and give it a name inspired by their own heritage.
- Accessibility: The show offers subtitles and dubbing in English and Yoruba, making it a valuable tool for language exposure.
2. Supa Team 4, Zambia (2023 to 2025): Ages 6 to 11
Set in a neo-futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia, this series follows four teenage girls who are recruited by a retired secret agent to become superheroes. While they deal with school-age challenges, they also protect their city using high-tech gadgets and teamwork. It stands as the first African original animated series from Netflix.
Source: Netflix’s ‘Supa Team 4’ Trailer: First Look At African Toon Series
Supa Team 4 defies the rural stereotype often associated with African settings. It presents Zambia as a place of technological innovation and urban energy. For young girls, it offers four distinct models of leadership and intelligence, emphasizing that STEM skills and cultural pride can coexist.
“In creating a superhero show set in Lusaka, I hope to introduce the world to four strong African girls who save the day in their own fun and crazy way. Most importantly, I want to illustrate that anyone from anywhere can be a superhero.” Malenga Mulendema, the Zambian writer and creator behind the series.
- Where to Watch: Available globally on Netflix.
- Themes and Discussion: Which of the four heroes do you relate to most? How does the team solve problems without always using force?
- Quick Activity: Research one landmark in Lusaka, Zambia, and discuss how the show’s city of Neo-Lusaka looks different from the real city today.
- Accessibility: Includes audio descriptions and subtitles in multiple languages, including isiZulu and Swahili.
3. Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes, South Africa (2023 to 2025): Ages 3 to 6
Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes follows a seven-year-old girl who loves ballet and martial arts. When she and her friends put on their magical headbands, they become superheroes who resolve conflicts in Kimoja City. The show is a South African co-production featuring Triggerfish Animation Studios.
Source: Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes First Full Episode | Part 1 | @disneyjr
This series is an ideal entry point for preschoolers. It focuses on social-emotional learning and the South African concept of Ubuntu, which emphasizes communal interconnectedness. The bright colors and rhythmic movements make it engaging for young audiences while maintaining deep cultural roots in Southern African aesthetics.
- Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+ and airing on Disney Junior globally.
- Themes and Discussion: How did Kiya show kindness to someone she disagreed with? What kind of dance moves would your superhero character use?
- Quick Activity: Put on a favorite song and have a dance-off where every move represents a different superpower like the Shield of Kindness.
2025 Children’s Africana Book Award Winners
The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are the gold standard for identifying accurate and balanced books about Africa. The following selections are the 2025 winners in the Picture Book category.
I’ll See You in Ijebu by Bunmi Emenanjo (Barefoot Books):
A warm, transportive picture book that moves between the pulsing streets of Lagos and the quieter rhythms of Ijebu, I’ll See You in Ijebu follows a young Catholic girl as she travels to her family’s hometown to celebrate Eid al-Adha with Muslim relatives. Emenanjo renders everyday scenes with affectionate detail, from crowded minibuses and market stalls piled with yams and spices to the careful preparations of a communal feast, and the narrative balances the bustle of travel with intimate moments of cross-generational connection.
Source: I’ll See You in Ijebu : Bunmi Emenanjo, Diana Ejaita: Amazon.in: Books
The story respectfully foregrounds religious difference as ordinary and harmonious, showing how food, hospitality, and ritual weave family ties across faiths while preserving individual belief. Visuals and pacing invite readers to notice textures of place: the song of traffic, the rhythm of conversation at mealtime, and the small, comforting duties that bind relatives together.
Honored as a 2025 CABA Best Picture Book, it is ideal for readers ages four to eight and offers activities and prompts about food and hospitality. ISBNs include 9781646868438 and 9781646868445 for U.S. editions.
2. The Heart Never Forgets by Ana Otaru (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Lyrical and luminous, The Heart Never Forgets explores memory, belonging, and the quiet currents that connect children to their heritage. Otaru’s prose is spare and deliberate, following a child who learns that smells, songs, and small rituals can carry the past forward and help shape a sense of home across continents. Scenes unfold like sensory postcards, each page offering an anchor that affirms the acts and objects that sustain identity and emotional resilience.
Source: The Heart Never Forgets: Ot, Ana, Goodman, Hayden: 9781665913058: Amazon.com: Books
Hayden Goodman’s illustrations respond with gentle, layered imagery that folds past and present into a visual conversation, honoring both public ceremony and private remembrance. The book is written with a sensitivity that supports conversations about migration, family stories, and the ways sensory details preserve cultural continuity for children who live between places.
A 2025 CABA Best Picture Book, it suits storytime and older children exploring migration. Suitable for ages five to nine, the book invites projects such as sound maps and memory jars that help children name the sensory threads that bind them to people and places. ISBN 9781665913058 appears in publisher and library listings.
3. The Gabi That Girma Wore by Fasika Adefris and Sara Holly Ackerman, illustrated by Netsanet Tesfay (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
A bright celebration of Ethiopian textile traditions, The Gabi That Girma Wore traces the life of a gabi, the traditional cotton wrap, from seed to cloth to the child who wears it. Adefris and Ackerman attend to the many hands and rhythms involved in making fabric, honoring growers who tend the cotton, spinners who prepare the thread, and weavers whose looms translate labor into pattern.
Source: The Gabi That Girma Wore : Adefris, Fasika, Ackerman, Sara Holly, Tesfay, Netsanet: Amazon.in: Books
The narrative foregrounds collective care and sustainable craft, offering a gentle introduction to ideas about slow fashion and the artisanal work behind everyday garments. Netsanet Tesfay’s illustrations emphasize texture, pattern, and communal rhythm, inviting readers to linger over the visual richness of looms, heddles, and finished cloth, and to consider how clothing can hold memory and identity.
The text is classroom friendly, pairing naturally with simple weaving projects, fabric exploration, and discussions about where materials come from and who makes them. Included among 2025 CABA honorees, this title suits ages five to nine and pairs well with weaving activities and discussions about the origins of clothing. ISBN 9780316470773 appears for the Little, Brown edition.
How to Support Authentic African Media
- Request at Libraries: Use the ISBNs provided to ask your local librarian to stock these titles.
- Watch on Official Platforms: Streaming on official apps (Netflix, Max, Disney+) ensures creators get the “views” needed to renew for more seasons.
- Review: Leave reviews on Amazon or Goodreads for the picture books to help them reach more families.
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
