AceShowbiz - The Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF), a $50 million investment initiative designed to boost film and television production across Africa and its diaspora, has revealed its first slate of projects. This inaugural lineup includes works from notable talents such as Trevor Noah, Rapman, André Holland, Thuso Mbedu, and the filmmaking duo Arie and Chuko Esiri.

Selected from over 2,000 submissions spanning 80 countries, the nine projects announced reflect the fund’s mission to elevate African storytelling beyond niche cultural exports toward a globally competitive and investable entertainment sector.

Founded by former diplomat and media executive Akunna Cook, NNAF combines $40 million in commercial equity investment with a $10 million nonprofit venture studio focused on script development and early-stage project incubation. This hybrid model aims to fill critical gaps in African screen industries, where creative production is growing rapidly but development financing remains limited, particularly in markets such as Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.

Among the highlighted projects is Beyond Day Zero, a South African action film produced by Trevor Noah through his Day Zero Productions. Written by Amy Jephta and based on a story by Toby and Kevin Schmutzler, the film follows the daughter of a water tycoon who teams up with a township gangster to confront a corrupt system that divides society.

Another key project is Innocent, a mystery set in Lagos, created by twin filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri. The duo recently gained U.S. theatrical distribution for their film Clarissa through Neon, signaling growing international interest in their work.

Rapman, the British-Ghanaian director behind Netflix's superhero hit Supacell, will direct and co-write an untitled political thriller set in Sierra Leone. This story centers on a young soldier who unexpectedly comes to power following a coup.

Actor and producer André Holland is attached as executive producer on the television spy thriller United States of Africa, set during the Cold War in Ghana. The narrative follows a former soldier recruited to establish the continent’s first intelligence agency amid high-stakes geopolitical maneuvering.

The slate also features Skunk, a South African action drama starring and co-written by Thuso Mbedu, known for her breakout role in The Woman King. Additionally, the Nigerian sci-fi romance Bako imagines a near-future society where humans and aliens coexist.

Other projects include About Love & September Laws, a historical drama set in Sudan from the writers behind the Cannes-winning film Goodbye Julia, and Jollof Wars, a genre-bending musical fantasy inspired by West African folklore that revolves around a magical culinary competition.

Announcing the slate, Cook emphasized that the chosen projects embody the fund’s goal to support commercially viable stories deeply rooted in African culture. "From over 2,000 submissions, these nine projects from across Africa and the diaspora rose to the top because they are commercially compelling, culturally resonant, and globally relevant," she said.

She added that these projects represent over $60 million in production investment in Africa. "By pairing world-class storytelling with key financing and data validation, we are shaping the African narrative, positioning it for global investment, and sustaining thousands of jobs and economic development across Africa."

Cook founded the fund after a career in U.S. diplomacy and media policy, viewing Africa’s creative industries as one of the most underappreciated growth sectors in global entertainment. The continent’s young population and surging creative output present significant opportunities for expansion and investment.

Over the past year, NNAF has been building the necessary infrastructure to deploy its capital effectively. This includes assembling a 13-member advisory board comprising experts in production, finance, technology, and talent management to guide project evaluation and investment strategy.

The fund has also partnered with Parrot Analytics to analyze global audience demand for African stories. This collaboration supports the fund’s broader objective to demonstrate that Africa’s film and television industries represent a "globally undervalued asset class."

With this first slate, NNAF aims to catalyze a new era for African storytelling—one that attracts international investment, empowers creators, and unlocks the continent’s vast creative potential for global audiences.