Meet the South African creative helping to make Africa an animation powerhouse

Stephen Grootes talks to Nosipho Maketo van den Bragt, Founder of Chocolate Tribe about the work she does, the industry, and how she makes her money. 

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt is a South African entrepreneur, creative leader, and the founder and CEO of Chocolate Tribe, a top animation and visual effects (VFX) studio based in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Chocolate Tribe makes high-quality animation and visual effects for films, TV shows and commercials, including work on projects for Netflix and Disney

But her career didn't start in the entertainment industry.

She first qualified and earned a master's degree in law, and worked as a lawyer.

But she soon realised her passion was storytelling and creativity, so she switched careers and co-founded Chocolate Tribe alongside her husband.

But her passion is also to give back and inspire others.

She started an event called AVIJOZI, a free annual festival that teaches young people about animation, and VFX, offering workshops, mentorship, and the opportunity to meet and learn from other professionals in the film and creative space.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt says she's dedicated to sharing African stories on the world stage.

"In the VFX and animations space, we really wanna create mesmerising worlds and characters that push the story forward and just immerse audiences into that."

- Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, co-founder - Chocolate Tribe

"For me why it's so powerful, particularly at this time of our lives in South Africa and Africa, is the fact that for the first time it feels that our stories really, really matter, and the global stage is ready to hear them."

- Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, co-founder - Chocolate Tribe

"We at a golden age of creativity, and what I'd like to see from a South African and African perspective is us telling those mesmerising stories. Those stories that humanize us, and that also allow us to fly and just explore our imagination beyond stories of struggle and and stories of colonisation.

- Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, co-founder - Chocolate Tribe

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.