Malenga Mulendema is the creator of the Netflix animated series “Supa Team 4”. The show is Netflix’s first African animated series and is set in the neo-futuristic African city of Lusaka. It follows the story of four teenage girls who are recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world from dangerous villains. The show aims to showcase African culture and the strength of young people. The voice cast features Zowa Ngwira, Namisa Mdlalose, Kimani Arthur, Nancy Sekhokoane, Pamela Nomvete, and John MacMillan. Malenga Mulendema recently signed with Newmation for her future projects.
Malenga Mulendema was inspired to create “Supa Team 4” by her own childhood experiences of growing up in Lusaka. She wanted to showcase African culture and the strength of young people. The show is a fresh superhero story about girlhood, strength, and African ingenuity. Mulendema’s goal was to create a show that African children could relate to and see themselves in the characters. She also wanted to create a show that would challenge the negative stereotypes of Africa that are often portrayed in Western media.
Overcoming Challenges
Creating “Supa Team 4” was not without its challenges for Malenga Mulendema. Mulendema had to secure funding for the project, which was not easy. She had to pitch the idea to various investors and production companies before Netflix finally picked it up. As the first African animated series on Netflix, there were limited resources available for the production of “Supa Team 4”. Mulendema had to work with a small team and limited budget to bring her vision to life.
Mulendema’s Goals for the Project
Mulendema wanted to create a show that challenged the negative stereotypes of Africa that are often portrayed in Western media. This meant that she had to be intentional about the way she portrayed African culture and characters in the show. Mulendema had to be culturally sensitive in her portrayal of African culture in the show. She had to do extensive research to ensure that the show was authentic and respectful of African culture. Mulendema wanted to create a show that was both entertaining and educational. She had to find a balance between the two to ensure that the show was engaging for children while also teaching them about African culture and history.
