Kenya drums up Bongoman adaptation

The Adventures of Bongoman

A Kenyan production company is producing an animated series based on a cartoon strip that has run in local daily newspaper The Standard for the past 25 years.

The Adventures of Bongoman (15×5′) comes from Diaspora Media and follows a rugged, dreadlocked character, his family and his group of misfit friends.

The series will be relatable to adults living in an urban, modern Africa, according to Diaspora, which is due to attend the Discop market in Dubai next week.

The prodco is aiming the satirical animated comedy about Nairobi culture, which is based on the cartoon strip Bongoman, at sub-Saharan African and global VoD platforms.

“The ubiquitous image of a dreadlocked African man seemingly transcends borders and postulates brand recognition outside of Kenya,” said a Diaspora spokesman, with the show’s creators hoping the series will appeal in territories such as the Far East and the Middle East.

“We have chosen Korea and Japan as potential secondary markets due to cultural interest in both those countries with Africa and Africans. Meanwhile, the Middle East is a valuable secondary market due to its cultural proximity to sub-Saharan Africa and large audience base with a single language, Arabic,” Diaspora added.