Growing up in early-2000s in Gweru — where ZBC was the only window to the world and reruns filled the screen —Takudzwa Sibanda learned to entertain himself in ways the national broadcaster could not.
With the same episodes of Denver, Conan the Barbarian and X-Men looping daily at 2pm, young Sibanda had to create his own worlds. And he did. During school breaks, he became the unofficial storyteller —spinning fictional “new episodes” from shows he had never actually watched on DStv.
“I created entire plots, characters and twists out of thin air, and somehow my friends believed me,” he recalls with a laugh.
But his creativity was tested one day when a real episode of Conan aired —contradicting everything he had fabricated. He prepared for ridicule. Instead, a friend privately encouraged him, telling him he had a rare gift.
Today, Sibanda — better known as Director S — is a freelance animator and founder of Dsstudiozw, the creative home where he now builds the same worlds he once spoke into existence.
Sibanda’s journey took shape without privilege, mentorship or access to the sophisticated training systems available to young animators abroad.
“My childhood was fun, but limited. We only had ZBC, so there was no exposure to global content until the internet came,” he says.
As a self-taught animator, he spent years experimenting until he discovered a workflow that allowed him to produce full projects efficiently.
- How childhood boredom built a visionary animator
Keep Reading
Through this process, he realised traditional animation training was designed for environments with extensive resources— conditions far removed from Zimbabwe’s reality.
“Anime reflects Japanese culture, Pixar reflects America. I needed something that spoke to our own context,” he says.
That realisation birthed Zanime — a unique, resource-efficient animation style tailored specifically for Zimbabwean storytelling.
“Zanime allows us to showcase our culture and inspire people globally, while pushing boundaries using what we have,” he explains.
In 2019, Sibanda’s animated skit 2 KGs yemafuta, featuring the character Mkoma Masimba, went viral on TikTok and WhatsApp—drawing musicians and creatives to his inbox.
But early success came with industry lessons.
“One famous musician asked for a video, I delivered — and he refused to pay,” Sibanda says.
“It taught me the importance of client commitment and clear payment terms.”
With time, he refined his business approach and sharpened his craft. Musicians became his biggest clients, and their demand steered him deeper into animated music videos.
“That’s where the market responded fastest. Musicians understand the value, especially with tight budgets,” he says.
He is now focusing on expanding Zanime’s reach to filmmakers, NGOs, content creators and even government departments.
Sibanda says one of the biggest hurdles for young animators is the absence of locally relevant tutorials.
“When I started, tutorials only focused on Western or Japanese animation. They required expensive equipment and systems that don’t fit our environment,” he explains.
To close this gap, he now creates Zanime tutorials aimed at helping beginners develop skills using accessible tools.
Sibanda views AI as an aid, not a threat.
“AI is just a tool. It can replicate a concept, but it cannot create in the way humans do,” he says.
Encouraging aspiring creatives, he says:
“Join this journey. Get Zanime tutorials, learn new skills and help amplify Zimbabwean culture on the global stage.”
