Our studio is dedicated to opening up the animation and VFX industry in South Africa and beyond. With over 25 years of experience, we recognise the immense growth potential of our industry within the African hemisphere, and with South Africa at the center of that growth spike, we have identified a strong need for more skilled animation & VFX talent in the country. According to Business Research Insights (2023), the projected growth of the animation, VFX, and gaming industries globally, is estimated to reach 543 Million USD by 2028. 

South (Africa) has proven to churn internationally recognised projects such as; Little Match Girl, INumberNumber, Surf Sangoma ( part of the Kizazi Moto Anthology), The Brave Ones, Seal Team, and Savage Beauty.  These projects are a testament to a thriving and growing creative economy.

However, to ensure the creation, development, and success of the animation and VFX industry in Africa, it is crucial to retain and nurture local talent. Recognising this need, Chocolate Tribe has identified a significant gap in the market and has conceptualised the AVIJOZI event, the brainchild of our CEO and Owner, Nosipho-Maketo van den Bragt. AVIJOZI is a groundbreaking initiative whose primary goal is to bridge this gap by creating and exposing opportunities to young talent within this creative/technology space.

What is AVIJOZI, understanding our story and our “WHY”

AVIJOZI stands for Animation, VFX and Interactive in Jozi. It is a Chocolate Tribe and Netflix partnership geared towards creating awareness and opening up opportunities for (young) creatives to connect as artists, technicians, software developers, AI researchers, artists, writers, directors, producers, students, gamers, VFX, animation studios, and industry enthusiasts from South Africa and beyond. The event is a hybrid between a festival and a conference curated to be in a vibrant ambience for knowledge exchange, skill development, industry collaboration, and collective inspiration. AVIJOZI features behind-the-scenes workshops, demonstrations, film screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses, and networking opportunities.

Retaining, developing, and nurturing talent is essential for the growth of the Animation, VFX, and Interactive space. Through the AVIJOZI initiative, Chocolate Tribe is intentional in generating opportunities in the creative industry and fostering growth by expanding as well as opening our doors to young talent.

The overarching vision is to grow the industry and unleash a new generation of talent to meet future and current creative needs. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate was 63,9% for those aged 15-24 and 42,1% for those aged 25-34 years, while the current official national rate stands at 34,5%.

By addressing the challenges faced by our youth, such as unemployment, education disparities, poverty, and social inequality – AVIJOZI  aims to be another catalyst that sparks significant local and international interest in animation, VFX, and interactive spaces.

AVIJOZI is a free-of-charge event. By making it free we hope to be as inclusive to our communities as possible. Our mission is to address social challenges, embrace diversity and debunk the stereotypes that the pursuit of creative careers does not reap career success.

How to play your part:

We are encouraging industry experts and professionals to continue being collaborative, open up their space, share their resources and networks, and inspire young artists. We invite our private sector industry partners to get involved in AVJOZI through collaboration, attendance and funding.

Internal initiatives

In addition to AVIJOZI, we are deeply focused on youth development within our own company. At Chocolate Tribe, training is an integral part of our company ethos. General staff training on various topics relating to Animation and VFX occurs weekly for all staff members. For up-and-coming artists, we offer both paid and unpaid internships.  For High school candidates, we offer job-shadowing opportunities. Our internship and job-shadowing programmes are designed to provide a safe space to learn, valuable experience, and exploration opportunities. So far, for the year 2023, we have welcomed 25 interns, and we are thrilled to continue onboarding passionate young minds.

Chocolate Tribe continues to break the barriers to entry for young people through internships, job shadowing, school/university/college outreach activities, and career awareness events. We believe by providing opportunities for young people, it gives them the space to organically grow as artists, network, and fully explore their personal career interests. 

Through AVIJOZI and other Chocolate Tribe initiatives- as well as community collaboration, we aim to impact not only the creative space positively but the African economy at large.

AVIJOZI 2023

This event was held at the University of Johannesburg, a two-day festival focusing on animation, visual effects, and interactive technology.

The event drew over 3831 attendees, including students, jobseekers, professionals, and industry experts. Notable highlights included a second-year partnership with Netflix and the announcement of a 3-year Netflix bursary for young artists. The University of Johannesburg provided support as an associate partner, offering venue, marketing, and media coverage. Community sponsorship came from organizations like Toon Boom, Gauteng Film Commission, and Chaos Group, with additional support from WETA FX, Epic Games, Nemisa, and WAVI.

The festival featured 82 renowned local and international guest speakers, 53 talks, 10 exhibitors, 6 festival spaces, 7 food stalls, 5 DJs, 2 artists, a merchandise store, and a film screening. Esteemed South African artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu headlined the event, celebrating heritage and creativity. Over 70 festival volunteers participated, and a pre-event AVIJOZI Roadshow engaged with high schools in disadvantaged areas to promote the event’s mission and knowledge access.