Johannesburg, August 2024
As part of Lesotho’s nascent yet growing creative industry, young entrepreneur Katleho Monyako stands out. The founder of SourceCode Motion Pictures, a visual effects company based in Maseru, Lesotho, made it his mission to preserve and promote African culture by leveraging the power of 3D animation and visual effects (VFX) to tell compelling and immersive stories. The company focuses on film production, web series, TV shows, and ad campaigns.
Monyako’s journey into the world of innovative visual storytelling began at a young age, fuelled by his fascination for global productions.
“I’ve always been fascinated by Hollywood movie magic,” he says. “It was amazing to see how impossible worlds and actions were brought to life using technology like 3D animation and VFX. I started learning how to create my own visual effects at the age of 14 and fell in love with the art.”
Monyako founded SourceCode Motion Pictures to help address the shortage of visual effects in Lesotho’s movies and television shows while promoting original African content with rich cultural narratives. However, building his business hasn’t been easy – facing obstacles like limited access to the latest technology, a scarcity of skilled talent and inadequate infrastructure.
“I believe in the power of the creative and cultural sectors to create jobs and drive innovation and foster a strong sense of cultural identity. Yet it can be quite difficult to navigate the industry successfully and compete at the highest level,” he says.
Recently, his company was announced as one of the top 12 finalists selected for incubation, immersion and funding by the Création Africa programme, a French investment aiming to boost entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative industries of South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.
Through his participation in the programme, Monyako aims to scale up his business, gain access to new markets, and learn how to run his company more sustainably.
“What I’ve found most valuable about the Création Africa experience so far is the wealth of information and business insights about the creative industry. I also enjoy learning from other cultural entrepreneurs and seeing how different businesses within the creative industries can work together.” he says about his journey in the programme.