Discover the best of African cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Africa. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Africa
To talk about African cinema is to talk about a brilliant kaleidoscope of film, a dynamic and diverse collection of stories from more than fifty nations. It is a cinema of vibrant energy, deep soul, and groundbreaking creativity. Its modern story truly began in the post-colonial era of the 1960s, when visionary filmmakers rose to tell their own stories for the first time. Pioneers like the Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène, often celebrated as the "Father of African Cinema," saw the camera as a tool for empowerment, crafting films that challenged, educated, and reflected a newfound identity. Today, the continent is a cinematic force. Nigeria’s Nollywood has become a global phenomenon, recognised as one of the largest film industries in the world, producing a staggering number of movies and captivating television dramas that are loved across the globe. Meanwhile, South Africa has produced Oscar-winning features and gripping series that tackle its complex history with raw honesty. The streaming age has further fuelled this explosion of talent, with platforms backing ambitious original series from Kenya to Ghana. What makes African cinema so unique is its powerful connection to oral traditions, its social conscience, and its infectious spirit. It’s a cinema telling authentic stories from a fresh perspective, demanding the world’s attention.
Best African series
Paranormal 2020
Set in the 1960s; Paranormal follows the adventures of Dr. Refaat Ismail, a professor of hematology, as he comes up against various supernatural events with the help of his Scottish old flame, Maggie.
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Blood & Water 2020
After crossing paths at a party, a Cape Town teen sets out to prove whether a private-school swimming star is her sister who was abducted at birth.
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Unseen 2023
A house cleaner desperately searches for her husband as a dreaded criminal syndicate dredges up past tragedies and ultimately drives her to violence.
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Queen Sono 2020
A highly trained South African spy must face changing relationships in her personal life while taking on her most dangerous mission yet.
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Fatal Seduction 2023
A married professor is pulled into a passionate affair with a younger man that uncovers a path of tragedy and betrayal from those closest to her.
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Penguin Town 2021
In a picturesque South African town, an eclectic group of endangered penguins flock together to find mates, raise families and mix with the locals.
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Best African movies
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009
Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers' war.
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My Octopus Teacher 2020
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
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The Gods Must Be Crazy 1980
A Coca-Cola bottle dropped from an airplane raises havoc among a normally peaceful tribe of African bushmen who believe it to be a utensil of the gods.
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Action Point 2018
A daredevil designs and operates his own theme park with his friends.
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The Pirates of Somalia 2017
After an inspiring chance encounter with his idol, rookie journalist Jay Bahadur uproots his life and moves to Somalia looking for the story of a lifetime. Hooking up with a local fixer, he attempts to get embedded with the local Somali pirates, only to quickly find himself in over his head.
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Zulu 2013
As a child, Ali Neuman narrowly escaped being murdered by Inkhata, a militant political party at war with Nelson Mandela's African National Congress. Only he and his mother survived the carnage of those years. But as with many survivors, the psychological scars remain.
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