A New Era in Wildlife Filmmaking: How South Africa’s Pioneers Are Shaping Global Conservation Narratives
The landscape of wildlife documentary production is undergoing a transformative shift, spearheaded by a dynamic duo from South Africa: Pragna Parsotam-Kok and Noel Kok. Their journey began in 2015 when they produced a wildlife series for South African television, an experience that exposed them to two critical challenges: the profound scarcity of African filmmakers telling Africa’s stories and the logistical hurdles of accessing wildlife for filming. These realizations ignited a mission to democratize wildlife filmmaking, ensuring that the narratives of Africa’s ecosystems are told with authenticity, diversity, and innovation.
Their response was the establishment of the Nature Environment and Wildlife Conservation Trust (NEWF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to training the next generation of African wildlife filmmakers. The organization’s inaugural conference in 2017 marked the beginning of a movement, but it was the 2018 revelation of the lack of African underwater filmmakers that pushed the Koks to take bolder action. They discovered that many marine biologists on the continent lacked basic swimming skills, let alone the ability to scuba dive—a critical gap in capturing the underwater world’s untold stories.
To address this, NEWF launched its first dive training program in 2019, a groundbreaking initiative that has since expanded into a 400-strong cohort of fellows from 37 African countries and 13 additional nations in the Global South. The program’s success is a testament to its vision: to redefine wildlife documentaries by centering African voices, perspectives, and technical expertise.
Breaking Barriers: From Coral Reefs to African Plains
NEWF’s dive training has flourished in Sodwana Bay, a coastal gem on South Africa’s northeast coast renowned for housing Africa’s southernmost tropical coral reefs. Over 200 divers have been trained here, equipping them with the skills to explore and document the continent’s underwater biodiversity. Complementing this, NEWF’s Bayala Game Reserve has become a hub for land-based wildlife filmmaking, offering immersive workshops where fellows learn to capture the raw beauty of Africa’s savannas, forests, and wetlands.
Yet, the Koks’ ambitions extend beyond technical training. They recognize that authentic storytelling requires more than just visuals—it demands culturally resonant soundscapes and compositions. In 2021, NEWF introduced composition workshops, addressing a common critique of wildlife films: the overuse of generic, non-regional music that fails to reflect the essence of African landscapes. As Noel Kok quips, “Imagine a lion chase set to Mozart—it’s jarring. Music should feel like it’s from the region itself.”
This philosophy paid off spectacularly in 2023 when a score composed by NEWF fellows, including Botswana’s Koolkat Motyiko, won Best Original Score at the Jackson Wild Film Festival. The track, used in a National Geographic film about Botswana’s Okavango Delta, outshone even Hans Zimmer’s score for Frozen Planet II, proving that African creativity can rival—and redefine—global standards.
From Grief to Passion: Silindile Mbuyazi’s Journey to the Deep
The story of Silindile Mbuyazi, known affectionately as Mama Sli, embodies the transformative power of NEWF’s work. In 2015, Mbuyazi lost her brother in Sodwana Bay, a tragedy that drove her to learn to dive in defiance of her community’s warnings about “seven-headed snakes” lurking beneath the waves. Though she never recovered her brother’s body, her journey beneath the ocean’s surface revealed a world of wonder—including a green turtle she recognized as her grandmother, the same woman who had raised her and passed away in 2010.
“I found myself,” Mbuyazi reflects. “I fell in love with the ocean.” Today, at 37, she is a diving instructor and mentor, having taught over 150 NEWF fellows to dive. Her personal connection to the sea led NEWF to partner with her, proposing to build a diving and filmmaking center on her grandmother’s land—a place where the next generation of African explorers could learn and thrive.
In November 2023, eKhaya—meaning “home” in Zulu—officially opened its doors. The facility includes:
– A 3.5-meter dive pool for training.
– A state-of-the-art editing suite for post-production.
– 12 rooms to accommodate fellows during workshops.
– A recording studio where local musicians, like those rehearsing for the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Washington D.C., can craft immersive soundscapes.
The center’s impact is already visible. Local interns, many of whom learned to swim just last year, are now being trained to dive, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent. NEWF’s second cohort of 30 interns is working on diverse projects, from volunteering with elderly locals to conducting rock pool research, embodying the trust’s commitment to community-driven conservation.
Expanding Horizons: Funding, Ambitions, and the Future of African Filmmaking
NEWF’s growth has been fueled by annual funding of $1 million to $1.5 million from National Geographic, part of its five-year Africa Refocused program. This support has enabled the trust to scale its operations, from building eKhaya to exploring longer-term residencies for fellows.
The Koks’ vision extends beyond training. They are in negotiations for additional National Geographic funding to:
– Purchase a dive boat, expanding access to remote marine ecosystems.
– Construct a six-person fellows’ house at Bayala, fostering deeper immersion in wildlife habitats.
– Expand music composition workshops, ensuring that African soundscapes continue to enrich global documentaries.
One of NEWF’s most inspiring fellows is Ethiopian filmmaker Elshadye Berhanu, who participated in a two-month residency to document cheetah behavior in South Africa. Her work has uncovered rare insights, such as the bonding dynamics between two female cheetahs raising cubs together—a narrative that resonates deeply with her.
“Being able to film this from my own perspective makes me happy,” Berhanu shares. “It’s not just about capturing the moment—it’s about understanding it, living it, and telling it truthfully.”
A Legacy of Authenticity and Impact
The Koks’ work is more than a filmmaking revolution—it is a cultural and conservation movement. By training African filmmakers, divers, and composers, NEWF is ensuring that the stories of Africa’s wildlife are told by those who live them, with accuracy, creativity, and cultural pride.
As the organization continues to grow, its legacy will be measured not just in the number of fellows trained but in the new perspectives, innovations, and emotional connections forged between humans and nature. In an era where wildlife documentaries often feel detached or generic, NEWF’s approach offers a refreshing, authentic alternative—one that is uniquely African, deeply human, and endlessly inspiring.
National Geographic explorers create a dive lab after finding too few Black filmmakers telling African wildlife stories.
Workshop participants learn underwater cinematography techniques in Sodwana Bay’s coral reefs.
Silindile Mbuyazi (Mama Sli) discovers a green turtle she recognizes as her late grandmother during a dive.
eKhaya’s recording studio, where local musicians compose immersive soundscapes for wildlife films.
Ethiopian filmmaker Elshadye Berhanu films rare cheetah behavior during a NEWF residency.
