Netflix announces its first animated series from Africa

Netflix continues to make good on its promise for more diverse storytelling with its first animated series from Africa.

Set in a futuristic version of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, Mama K’s Team 4 follows four teenage girls who are recruited by a retired secret agent in order to save the world.

Mama K’s Team 4, which is co-produced by South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios and the U.K. family entertainment company CAKE, was created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema who, in 2015, was one of eight winners from the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent search for new storytellers.

Mama K’s Team 4 is another addition to Netflix’s growing slate of content from Africa, which is in sync with Strong Black Lead, an initiative the company announced last year that is meant to be an ongoing conversation with black audiences about TV and film across social media, live events, and its podcast of the same name. In addition to representing a broader scope of voices, Mama K’s Team 4 also dovetails nicely with Netflix’s aggressive ambitions to own your kids’ screen time.