Zimbabwe - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

MUTUPO is Zimbabwe's very first TV anime, based on the country's culture of totems & breathing new life into the country's heritage to launch an action-packed emotional thrill-ride of a show with premium quality. In theatres 2025 & on Netflix in 5 years.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

MUTUPO is the first episode of an animated show set In a Zimbabwe where using the power of totems (Mutupo) is illegal. In the story, a strong Mutupo User has settled down as a mother & housewife. She is forced to use her power again when her young child has a near-fatal accident that leaves him disabled. The episode is to be screened as a 20 minute short film in local theatres & at animation festivals around the world to get further support for creating the rest of the TV Show. The story already exists as a graphic novel & is published worldwide under TOKYO POP, a North American Publishing Company.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Through creating MUTUPO, we aim to employ animators, writers, voice actors, lawyers, producers and musicians all from Africa to produce something high quality while remaining distinctly African. The media Africans consume is from other cultures and those other cultures often have control over how the world and even how we ourselves view our culture. Folktales and stories from other cultures are brought to us and we exalt them over our own. We’d like to change the narrative, inspire more stories like this to be told and do it all at a higher level than is often expected from us by the global market. It is hard for people in the creative industry to flourish on our own. The few of us who gain some form of success do so through initiatives such as this, and even then, it isn’t enough for everyone. So we believe that our project is one of the ones that show the sustainability of working in this industry at a highly professional level. With enough support to start us off, we can build up

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

MUTUPO already exists as a graphic novel under an international publishing house that prints up to 10 000 copies for each print run of their books. We are also in talks with a Zimbabwean fashion and apparel company called for them to have a clothing line based on the Mutupo brand. Apart from the opportunities we would gain from producing the film, doing so would also boost awareness for the graphic novel and clothing brand, leading to multiple streams of income from one piece of Intellectual Property. This would support multiple artists who would otherwise not be able to make a living off their craft. We intend to bring positive representation of Zimbabwean Culture as a worthy alternative to to rival popular media that is often shown to us from other cultures. The story tackles themes of power, motherhood, disability and the way tradition & culture is viewed in the modern world. We seek to address & positively challenge some pre-existing notions people have on these issues.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Africans and the black community worldwide, aged 16 - 40 years old. We've noted from our social media channels that the group of people in this demographic are craving art and entertainment that represents their culture and experiences. Both in Africa and the diaspora. The international black community also responds well to art and entertainment made well that they can identify with their own lost African heritage. This project centers a cultural tradition that has existed in Zimbabwe for generations but has remained obscure and loses relevance as time passes on. Globalization continues and technology gets young Africans farther and farther from their culture - this project serves to bring that culture to them - within a medium they can easily access.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2022-12-09

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

9

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

5

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Rutendo Rwizi is the Co-Director of our animation studio. She is also the colorist and assistant animator for all our animated projects since 2022. She also handles our merchandising. Johnny O'Bryant is the founder of Noir Caesar Entertainment & Arsalan Asli produces and manages the company's slate. Noir Caesar set up an Action/Anime series at WarnerBros. Discovery for their HBOMax silo that is in the greenlight process. Noir Caesar also has two series set up at Sony TV, including a modern remake of The Last Dragon, and one with Powerhouse Animation, who have a substantial output deal with Netflix. Tabitha Mwale is the Director of Zambian animation studio TabsProductions and her team made Zambia's first anime in 2022 Akende Muyumbana is the Director of Zambian-based Utobia Studios Tshepo Machethe is one of our business partners and investor. Constance Ndoro is our administration manager. Tadiwanashe Mweta is the social media manager. Tariro Bakasa is an artist and character designer

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.instagram.com/kay_rwizi/

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Arts & Entertainment

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

The industry we work in is one of the world's leading generators of revenue. The Academy of Animated Art estimates that the global animation market size will reach $400 billion by the end of this year. North America(where we have partners in) is home to the largest animation market, making hundreds of millions of dollars every month in movie theatres and through streaming services. One such streaming service, Disney Plus invested in all african studios last year to create the animated show called KIZAZI MOTO. Zimbabwean studios like Alula Animation & South African studio Triggerfish were among the ones chosen to tell stories that reached millions of people world-wide. The industry creates jobs for artists who otherwise can't sustainably work locally and most of the revenue from these stories expands into merchandise like toys and clothing. With your help, we can employ local artists and expose them to a higher level or professionalism, business opportunity and earning capability.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

The project is filled with people passionate about it and who are happy to be working on it but it will not directly contribute to their health and wellbeing. However, if THE RESULT of the project is as successful as we hope it can be, it will improve my earning capability and enable me to be able to afford my medical bills for my hyperthyroidism and epilepsy.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

4

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

The co-owner of our animation studio which is handling the project and Co-director is my sister. She and I have been developing this project together since 2021. We both have no university education but our collaborative work in animation has enabled us to make a living. This project would be another step in that direction. The project also includes four other women in the arts and entertainment industry whom I've worked with before on other projects. This project would not be able to come to fruition without their work ethic and creative vision. The story we're telling with the animated project centers a character called Rutendo. This character uses her power in the story to save her son's life and challenges her husband vision of how she should raise their child. In the story's resolution, Rutendo learns to not only be a better mother but she uses the power of her Mutupo to raise her son in their long tradition. This story was inspired by watching my wife, my sister & my mother.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

This project we’re trying to upscale is based on a graphic novel that already has the support of an international publishing house that prints up to 10 000 copies for each print run of their books. We are also in talks with a Zimbabwean fashion and apparel company called Gutu Tich for them to have a clothing line based on the Mutupo brand. Apart from the opportunities we would gain from producing the film, doing so would also boost awareness for the graphic novel and clothing brand, leading to multiple streams of income from one piece of Intellectual Property.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

5

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Creative enterprises in Zimbabwe that a highly successful are few and far in-between. The truly high-performing ones leave the country and take their business there, leaving none for people behind. We’d like to bridge that gap. Because we are good enough, we just lack the resources to create something of high quality and we have no means to give it the exposure it requires for ultimate success for everyone involved. We’d like to create a brand of creative work that spans film, fashion & clothing and literature that is successful enough to create income streams from all the above sectors. We’d like to create opportunities that create better livelihoods for ourselves and other local artists who don’t have many chances to showcase their skills at a high level of professionalism , boosting our country's arts and entertainment industry profile.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

2

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

3

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

2

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

While our project centers Africans and black people, those people operate in industries in North America, South Africa, Zambia and the UK. The MUTUPO graphic novel will also be sold worldwide as of July 2024. This connects the cultural importance of the story to different people around the world and their industries are part of this project's implementation. More people around the world will know about not just the story of MUTUPO but its very real origins in Zimbabwean culture and tradition. We hope that shed more light to the country's history and spread its knowledge to as many people as possible.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

3

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

3

05.08 Justification

There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating. Arts and Entertainment in film, animation and literature is widely consumed globally. Our project is part of that industry. The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/service - there already exists booming franchises of media and literature covering the cultures of the East and the West, but it is still in its infancy when it comes to Africa. Especially in film and animation.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Our main potential competitors are other media production studios, local and international. We stand out in that we are filling a need in the market that has only been on the rise in recent years - well produced African stories in film and animation. We already collaborate with other African studios as small as our own, but bigger studios are run by bigger companies with more capital and risk behind them. This leads them in a direction where they try to appeal to the largest possible market, which can be beneficial but lacks the specific appeal to African and black communities we are trying to reach. Our project tells a more personal story that people have the need to see in media and through collaboration and keeping our operations relatively small, we can tell the best possible creative story that still has wide appeal and can earn revenue in a sustainable way.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes. I'm employing female artists and voice actors in the project and have done so since 2022.