A Tenacious Trailblazer: Amonge Sinxoto is Taking Up Space in the Futuristic World of Animation
The youth are the future of our nation and its prosperity. Simply put, they are responsible for implementing impactful changes and maintaining cultures that promote social justice. With that being said, the youth need to be empowered to play their role in the development of society. One person who understands this is 22-year-old author Amonge Sinxoto.
A jill of all trades, Amonge is the founder of Blackboard Africa and an activist for social change. Her work has been shared with major global players, including TEDx Talks, Breaking Down Borders Africa, Google, Michelle Obama’s Black Girls Rock, and UNICEF’s Voices of Youth. Moreover, Eco-Age earmarked Amonge to be part of The Renaissance Awards film and a recipient of the prestigious Renaissance Award for Socially Just.
The social entrepreneur continues to break new ground with her children’s book, “My Big Name”, which launched in August last year. The book is based on her little sister’s experiences with people struggling to pronounce her name – Isenguye.
A trailblazer, Amonge brought the heartwarming story to life through a 2D animated series adaptation called “My Big World”. The project went on to win the Road to Annecy competition at the Cape Town International Animation Festival.
“I’m so excited for the opportunity to represent my country and engage with an international market about the importance of our stories. The series is derived from my children’s book, “My Big Name” which is a story about a young girl – Isenguye, understanding the power of her big name. In the series, Isenguye explores her identity and starts to embrace it – encouraging the other kids to do the same. In an engaging and fun way, our dynamic characters are understanding and appreciating the things that make them different,” she said.
The show was developed and produced by The Ntintili Factory, headed by Busisiwe Ntintili. Amanda Zungu is an esteemed director-producer with the award-winning animation short “Shaka Inkosi YamaKhosi” under her belt. Last but not least, the incredible creative director and creator of the series, Nompumelelo Sinxoto. The all-black, female-led animation team will showcase their project at the esteemed 2023 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
Known as the largest global event dedicated to animation, the yearly festival gathers esteemed professionals from around the world in Annecy, France, the animation capital, every June. “My Big World” is currently among the distinguished delegates being showcased from June 11th to June 17th. Amonge spoke about the importance of having an all-black, female-led team for the astounding project.
“Animation is an industry that is not very representative both behind the scenes and on-screen. Therefore, assembling an all-black woman team was essential for diversifying this incredible medium. Media and entertainment are powerful tools for shaping societal perceptions. The more absence of black female bodies in leading roles, the more it is normalised to not centre the experiences of these underrepresented identities. The invisibility of varied people is dangerous as minorities are always an afterthought in the designs of our policies, institutions, and cultural standards,” expressed the author.
Despite its apparent boom, the world of animation still has many barriers to entry, mostly caused by South Africa’s digital divide and socio-economic issues. Speaking about the challenges facing young South Africans today, Amonge emphasised the importance of acquiring knowledge.
“Exposure is key. There are so many dynamic innovations in the world. We need to stay informed to move forward. I encourage the youth to broaden their perspective at every opportunity. For example, animating is currently a niche skill in South Africa. Not enough is being done to ensure that access to the level of education required is available to everyone. The more we educate people about the opportunities available in the world of animation, the more growth the industry will flourish,” said Amonge.
In parting, the tenacious trailblazer encouraged animation enthusiasts to expect all things unique and bold about South African visuals, music, and culture in the “My Big World” series. Amonge further mentioned that people should expect relatable stories, diverse characters, and a fun show that the whole family would be happy to watch together.
Connect with Amonge:
Instagram: @a_monge
Facebook: Amonge Sinxoto
Twitter: @a_monge