The Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF), a $50 million initiative designed to expand film and television production across Africa and its diaspora, has unveiled its inaugural slate of projects — with work connected to Trevor Noah, Rapman, André Holland and Thuso Mbedu among the first titles receiving support.
Launched by former diplomat and media executive Akunna Cook, the fund selected nine projects from more than 2,000 submissions across 80 countries, spanning genres from action and political thrillers to sci-fi, comedy and fantasy.
The initiative is structured as a hybrid model combining $10 million in nonprofit funding through a venture studio that supports script development with $40 million in commercial equity investment aimed at helping projects move into production once they are ready.
The goal is to address a long-standing gap in many African screen industries: strong creative output paired with limited access to early-stage development funding and large-scale investment. By pairing financing with industry partnerships and audience demand insights, NNAF hopes to position African storytelling not simply as cultural export but as a globally investable sector within the entertainment business.
“These projects rose to the top because they are commercially compelling, culturally resonant, and globally relevant,” Cook said in announcing the slate. “By pairing world-class storytelling with financing and data validation, we are helping position African narratives for global investment while supporting economic development and job creation across the continent.”
The first slate features projects from filmmakers and creatives across Africa and the diaspora, including an action film produced by Trevor Noah, a political thriller from Supacell creator Rapman, a spy series executive produced by André Holland, and an action drama starring and co-written by Thuso Mbedu.
Below are the nine projects receiving development support from the fund:
Beyond Day Zero (South Africa)
Genre: Action
Produced by Trevor Noah through Day Zero Productions, the film follows the daughter of a powerful water tycoon who joins forces with a township gangster to challenge the system dividing their society. The screenplay is written by Amy Jephta from a story by Toby and Kevin Schmutzler.
Innocent (Nigeria)
Genre: Mystery thriller
Directed by Arie Esiri, who co-wrote the screenplay with his twin brother Chuko Esiri, the Lagos-set whodunit centers on a mystery that unfolds within the city.
Skunk (South Africa)
Genre: Action drama
Written and directed by Amanda Lane, the story follows two fashion models who mastermind a heist to steal government gold jewelry in order to buy back ancestral land. Thuso Mbedu stars and also serves as co-writer and producer.
Untitled Political Thriller (Sierra Leone / UK)
Genre: Political drama thriller
Directed and co-written by Rapman, creator of Netflix’s Supacell, the film follows a quiet 25-year-old Sierra Leonean soldier who is unexpectedly thrust into power after a bloodless coup, only to discover that ruling a nation can be far more dangerous than taking it.
United States of Africa (Ghana)
Format: Television series
Set in Cold War–era Ghana in 1958, the spy thriller follows a former soldier tasked with building the continent’s first intelligence agency as global powers battle for influence. André Holland is attached as an executive producer.
Bako (Nigeria)
Genre: Sci-fi romance
Directed and co-written by Boma Iluma, the story takes place in a near-future Nigeria where aliens live alongside humans, sparking technological progress and social division while a love story unfolds amid the shifting world.
The Return (Ghana)
Genre: Comedy horror
Written and directed by Zoey Martinson, the film follows a group of Gen Z friends who accidentally disrespect an ancient deity during a vacation in Ghana, unleashing supernatural consequences.
About Love & September Laws (Sudan)
Genre: Historical drama
Directed and co-written by Mohamed Kordofani, the Sudan-set drama unfolds in 1983 as Sharia law takes hold. A doctor, a translator and an American journalist find themselves entangled in love, resistance and political upheaval.
Jollof Wars (West Africa)
Genre: Musical fantasy comedy
Directed by Hamid Ibrahim of Kugali Media, the film imagines a magical culinary competition where chefs summon ancestral spirits to cook. An orphan and a rival heiress must join forces to save West African cuisine.
Looking ahead, the venture studio aims to support around 125 scripts over the next five years, while the commercial investment arm is expected to help finance 20 to 25 projects as they move toward production.
To ensure the investment strengthens local film ecosystems, qualifying projects must also bring at least 50 percent of production to the African continent, helping create jobs and infrastructure within regional industries as African storytelling continues to gain global attention.