News Desk Reporter
Children at early childhood centres in Moletsi, outside Polokwane, spent a week exploring animation, storytelling and art.
The programme brought creative activities and educational entertainment closer to children in rural communities.
The Bonang Dipopae Bana (BODIBA) Anime Show ran from 14 to 18 September across Marowe, Flora, Ga-Sechaba, Manamela and Jerusalema.
The project was created by artist Makwena Manamela, founder of Deft Multimedia Heads.
Manamela said the programme was about giving children access to animation that was both educational and connected to their experiences.
Among the work screened was Amandla We Cell, created by mixed artist Neo Shingwenyana.
The animation focuses on environmental protection and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It has also been nominated for the 2026 Fak’ugesi Awards.
Amandla We Cell will compete at the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival in Johannesburg from 13 to 17 October.
Children also took part in practical art activities. One of the exercises involved placing artworks on paper and encouraging them to redraw what they saw.
The organisers said the approach was aimed at introducing basic art concepts while encouraging interaction between children, educators, childminders and the creative team.
International educator, concept artist and visual storyteller Mogau Kekana also took part in the programme.
Kekana graduated from Gobelins School L’Image in France with a master’s degree in character animation and film in 2022.
He was part of the team behind Thaba Ye, an award-winning student film produced in association with Deft Multimedia Heads.
The film is set around Modimolle Mountain during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was directed by six student directors from BRICS countries and Europe.
Another highlight was Rapulani, an animated adaptation of a book written by Keabetswe Mogatusi.
The story was originally written in English before being translated into Sepedi specifically for BODIBA.
Manamela said Mogatusi’s contribution added another dimension to the programme.
“Although Keabetswe came in towards the end of curating the project itself and wrapping up the week-long premiere and screenings in Moletsi, her participation made a significant difference,” she said.
“She exposed the children to storytelling in Gauteng/Soweto lingo, which they are rarely exposed to and taught them to appreciate themselves as they are.”
Manamela said commissioning the Northern Sotho translation had been a financial risk.
“Commissioning the Northern Sotho translation project for Rapulani to qualify it for BODIBA Animation Show was costly and a high risk as it turned out to be a project within a project, but it was worth taking,” she said.
Deft Multimedia Heads is now in early discussions with 1000 Hugs Films about possible distribution, marketing and shared monetisation of the Northern Sotho version of Rapulani.
The discussions are particularly focused on Limpopo, where the organisers said children responded positively to the story.
The programme also received support from creative industry practitioners including Kgosi Ntono, founder of KN Studios.
Ntono contributed creative work, including Calabashes, despite the project’s initial budget being cut by half.
The organisers said artists continued to contribute their work to ensure the programme could go ahead.
The initiative aims to give children in rural communities greater access to animation, storytelling and creative learning.