Free online course for African animators
Top performers on the course will be put forward to leading Japanese anime studios for consideration.
By CityLife Arts Writer
African animators and artists can now apply for one of 100 places on a free Second Key Animation online course, designed by Japanese anime professionals Chiharu Akakura, Megumi Okawa, Yuki Yoshida, and Rikako Nakano.
Top performers on the course will be put forward to leading Japanese anime studios for consideration.
Second key animators turn rough key drawings into finished keyframes, completing details and secondary elements before the drawings go to in-betweeners.
Funded by the Government of Japan, the English-language course is a partnership between The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, under its timbuktoo platform; Arc & Beyond, under its TAIDO Project; and animation studio Triggerfish, through its Triggerfish Academy. Arc & Beyond is a non-profit organisation established by the Sony Group.
Five pre-recorded sessions will be released between 6 November and 13 December 2026, so the selected participants can watch in their own time.
“Second key animators must understand the intentions of the key animator, director and animation supervisor by carefully reading the drawings,” says Miyuki Kitabatake, a producer in Arc & Beyond’s Impact Creation Department. “People assume it’s entry-level work, but taking over someone else’s drawings without direct explanation takes a high level of skill. With demand for anime growing globally, Japanese studios are now broadening their search for talent in order to keep up, especially in roles like this.”
Netflix said in 2025 that more than half its members had watched anime the previous year, with anime viewing hours on the streamer tripling over five years. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, released in 2025, has grossed more than US$793 million, the most of any Japanese film worldwide. And Crunchyroll passed 21 million paid subscribers by March 2026, up from 17 million a year earlier.
African animators are already working with Japanese studios. For example, South African Malcolm Wope is credited as a key animator for MAPPA on Lazarus, named Best Original Anime at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Through TAIDO, participants will gain exposure to Japan’s growing animation industry. At the TAIDO African Animation Awards held in Tokyo in March 2026, African studios were connected with representatives from leading Japanese animation and entertainment companies, including Bandai Namco Filmworks, TBS Holdings, Toei Animation and TOPPAN Holdings.
This engagement has already contributed to new collaboration opportunities. In September 2026, Toei Animation (One Piece, Dragon Ball Z) and Nigeria’s CR Motion+ agreed to co-produce a new animated short film, tentatively titled The Storyteller: The Dawn of Legend. The deal grew out of TAIDO’s support for CR Motion+’s short film Trials of the Spear and marks Toei’s first co-production with an African animation studio.
Building on these relationships, TAIDO aims to continue creating pathways for outstanding African talent to connect with industry professionals in Japan.
“Every time we run a call for applications in Africa, we unearth gems,” says Aibe Elukpo, head of Triggerfish Academy. “So we’re excited to see who emerges from this course onto the global stage.”
He points to Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, which featured Wope as a co-director on Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer and saw South Africa’s Lesego Vorster win a Children’s & Family Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 2025. He also highlights the Triggerfish Story Lab, which directly led to series on Netflix (Supa Team 4) and Disney Junior (Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes).
“I grew up, like many Africans, surrounded by stories,” says Maxwell Gomera, resident representative, UNDP South Africa. “They entertained us, taught us who we were and helped us imagine what we could become. Today, a young African animator should be able to turn that creativity into a career and take our stories to the world. Through this partnership with the Government of Japan and Arc & Beyond, we are helping young people gain the skills, networks and opportunities to do exactly that. Africa does not lack creativity. Our responsibility is to make sure that creativity is seen, supported and able to earn a living.”
Who can apply?
You can apply if:
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are an African citizen living anywhere in the world.
• You have a digital illustration or animation portfolio or showreel.
• You can follow instructions in English.
• You have access to reliable internet, a digital drawing device, and a computer capable of running 2D animation software like Clip Studio Paint.Applications for the Second Key Animation online course close on 1 November 2026.
Apply here:
https://triggerfish.com/academy/second-key-animation/