Tshimologong empowers youth in gaming and animation

Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Johannesburg is making waves in the tech industry by empowering South African youth to excel in the global video game and animation sector.

With the backing of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Tshimologong is providing young developers with the tools and training needed to thrive in fields such as coding, programming, game development, UX, and app development.

In a world where the gaming industry generates over $180 billion annually, surpassing the revenue of the movie industry by threefold, Tshimologong is paving the way for African talent to tap into this highly lucrative market. Launched in 2021 under the auspices of Wits University, the programme has already achieved significant milestones.

In 2022 alone, it supported 237 beneficiaries, with 187 of them being youth and 103 women. Notably, Tshimologong also succeeded in creating 50 job opportunities, addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment in South Africa, which currently stands at a staggering 62%.

Erika Denis, a creative industries expert at Tshimologong, emphasises the importance of providing opportunities for young people to enter the creative industries, as they serve as a powerful platform for fostering innovation and driving economic growth. Denis explains, “Tshimologong is committed to investing in the leading lights of the digital creative industry. This industry has significant growth potential, according to our research. Our programmes aim to attract African youth, with a strong focus on women, who are ready to start their careers in the industry in Africa.”

The African gaming industry, though relatively small, is experiencing rapid growth and garnering interest from international markets. Additionally, there is a pressing need for creatives with digital skills to meet the demands of the African economy.

Tshimologong’s incubation programmes play a vital role in equipping young start-ups with the necessary tools, training, and support to establish themselves in the global market. By strengthening the African creative industries ecosystem, Tshimologong aims to solidify the continent’s position in the global market.

Nicholas Nhundu, an investment officer at AFD, expresses pride in the organisation’s contribution to digital innovation in South Africa. AFD, operating in 108 countries, strives to help its partners achieve Sustainable Development Goals and make a tangible difference in creating a fairer and more sustainable world.

Nhundu states, “Our commitment in South Africa should – especially during Youth Month – give youth access to the digital landscape and empower them to use their new skillsets to make a name for themselves, locally and internationally.”

During Youth Month, Tshimologong highlights the success stories of some of its outstanding students. One such student is Bokang Koatja, who started as a teacher at Tshimologong before attending a train-the-trainer programme at Gobelins, the renowned animation school in Paris, France.

Koatja’s talent and dedication earned him a spot in Tshimologong’s Digital Lab Africa (DLA) programme, where he developed a personal animation project. Koatja was later selected for a Master of Arts in Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking with a Netflix grant at Gobelins, solidifying his path to success in collaboration with a French producer.

Another notable achiever is Xabiso Vili, a DLA champion who excels not only as an author and performer but also as a new media artist and social activist. Vili’s XR poetry-audio-visual project, titled “Re/Member Your Descendants,” explores how young South Africans connect with their ancestors and descendants. The project gained recognition at the NewImages Festival in Paris and was accompanied by a projection-mapping project called “Chosi Chosi” on the Saint Eustache Church.

Lola Aikins, driven by her passion for drawing and animating her own creations, pursued studies in 2D animation at LISAA in France. After returning to South Africa, Aikins became an intern at Tshimologong’s Mollo Animation Academy and Studio.

She went on to co-found LOBA, a collective of six artists dedicated to cultivating a stronger drawing culture in South Africa and inspiring young people to pursue careers in animation. Aikins secured funding from the National Film and Video Foundation and the National Arts Council to develop her short film, Naledi, which premiered at Comicon Africa 2022.

Anathi Hadebei, a visual artist from KwaZulu-Natal, honed his skills in digitising art at Mollo Animation Academy and Studio. Since graduating, Hadebei has made valuable contributions to projects such as the Prokid documentary’ on SABC1 and music videos for Universal Music Group, where he served as the lead artist. Recently, Hadebei was selected as one of the nine trailblazing artists in Johannesburg, supported by a sponsorship from Halls in their “Breathing Space 2.0” campaign.

Peter Mukucha, an avid gamer, enrolled in the Wits Digital Art course in 2018. His passion and talent led him to win the Tshimologong Digital Arts festival’s Fak’ugesi gaming hackathon in 2019 and be part of the winning team in the 2021 Fak’ugesi Hackathon.

These victories gave him access to the 2022 Gaming Incubation programme, where he established his own gaming company, Last Minute Digital. Mukucha’s success continued as his team won the 2023 MTN Ayoba Gaming Hackathon. Currently, he is involved in both the Digital Lab Africa and the Digitising Africa Entrepreneur Programme.

Nth Place Studio, formed by former students of Wits Digital Arts School, achieved recognition for their Ndebele-styled painting game at the Fak’ugesi 2022 festival’s Game Jam, securing them a game development contract with Fak’ugesi and Telkom Future Makers.

Their success also granted them the opportunity to attend Africa Games Week in Cape Town and triumph in a competition hosted by Games for Change Africa, earning them a trip to New York to represent Africa at the Games for Change Festival in July 2023.

Tshimologong serves as a melting pot of talent, attracting entrepreneurs, teachers, authors, artists, poets, activists, and more. With its commitment to investing in the leading lights of the digital creative industry, it continues to be an inspiring force, encouraging young individuals with a keen interest in the digital creative world to apply for a place in its Innovation Hub. Aspiring African youth now have an exceptional opportunity to enter the digital creative industry and make their mark both locally and internationally.

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