The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and two creative industry partners have opened applications for a free online anime training programme targeting 100 African animators, with top performers to be recommended to Japanese studios for possible employment.
The initiative, developed with Sony Group-established non-profit Arc & Beyond and animation studio Triggerfish, is designed to equip participants with skills required in Japan’s anime production industry.
Applications for the Second Key Animation course, funded by the Japanese Government, will close on November 1, 2026.
The programme will feature five pre-recorded lessons released between November 6 and December 13, allowing selected participants to learn at their own pace.
Japanese animation professionals Chiharu Akakura, Megumi Okawa, Yuki Yoshida and Rikako Nakano will lead the training, which focuses on refining rough key drawings into finished animation frames before they are handed to in-between animators.
Miyuki Kitabatake, a producer in Arc & Beyond’s Impact Creation Department, said the role required considerable technical skill and an understanding of the intentions behind the original drawings.
“People assume it’s entry-level work, but taking over someone else’s drawings without direct explanation takes a high level of skill,” she said.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and submit a digital illustration or animation portfolio or showreel. They must also be able to follow instructions in English, have reliable internet access and possess a digital drawing device and a computer capable of running 2D animation software.
The selection process will include two drawing assignments. Organisers said participants who perform well would be recommended to leading Japanese anime studios for consideration, although the training does not guarantee employment.
The initiative brings together UNDP South Africa’s Timbuktu initiative, Arc & Beyond’s TAIDO Project and Triggerfish Academy. Launched in 2025, TAIDO seeks to develop creative talent and strengthen business and production partnerships between African and Japanese animation industries.
The programme builds on growing links between the two markets. In September 2026, Japanese studio Toei Animation and Nigerian studio CR Motion+ announced a co-production agreement for The Storyteller: The Dawn of Legend, an animated short based on Comic Republic’s Trials of the Spear.
The project marked Toei Animation’s first co-production with an African animation studio.
Aibe Elukpo, head of Triggerfish Academy, said the organisers hoped to discover talents capable of competing internationally.
“Every time we run a call for applications in Africa, we unearth gems,” he said.
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