11 Best African Films and TV Shows to Watch in September 2026
From prestigious festival premieres in Toronto to the latest viral hits on local streaming platforms, African storytellers are dominating the screen this September. Explore our curated guide to the most essential new cinema and television from across the continent.
OkayAfrica StaffOkayAfricaStaff
The Spectacular Death of Prisca, directed by Kaelo Iyizoba, is an absurdist drama-comedy inspired by the pomp and excess theatrics of old Nollywood films.Courtesy of The Spectacular Death of Prisca.
This month’s slate is a testament to the sheer breadth of creative visual expression emerging from every corner of Africa — from North Africa’s poignant social satires and West Africa’s record-breaking thrillers to the gripping family dramas of Southern Africa and East Africa’s acclaimed festival breakthroughs.
Whether it’s the prestigious screens of the Toronto International Film Festival or the local streaming platforms bringing high-stakes telenovelas into living rooms, African creators are pushing boundaries and redefining genres. Here are the must-watch releases this month, highlighting the stars, directors, and narratives that are making waves across North, Southern, East, and West Africa.
Advertisement
North Africa — Amuna Wagner
Dream Chok (Morocco)
Dream Chok is a family comedy by Moroccan director Brahim Chkiri. Bringing together several key figures in Moroccan cinema and television, it tells the story of a group of young people who form a football team to change their destiny. They do not only become a team on the pitch, but grow together on a shared journey that is depicted through humor and satire while they navigate failure, success and the existential question of what it means to be alive.
Where to watch:Moroccan cinemas
El Set Lamma (Egypt)
Legendary actor and singer Yousra is widely considered as one of the most influential cultural and cinematic icons in the Middle East.Screengrab from 'El Set Lamma' I Official Trailer on YouTube
In the comedy El Set Lamma, starring Egyptian icon Yousra as media activist Dina El-Kurdi, women have had enough with the patriarchy! El-Kurdi launches the campaign “Women Have the Right to Veto” to tackle violence against women, encouraging women all over the Arabic speaking world to stand up to men who violate or disrespect them. While her campaign intersects with impactful women’s stories, she also has to deal with disgruntled men and an opposing society overall, which brings humor to this important topic of women’s rights and traditional world views. Directed by Khaled Abu Ghareeb and written by Kiro Ayman and Mohamed Badawy.
Where to watch: Cinemas around the Arabic speaking world.
Southern Africa — Tšeliso Monaheng
Inimba (South Africa)
'Inimba' is currently streaming on Mzansi Magic.Mzansi Magic.
Inimba has grown into one of Mzansi Magic's most dissected telenovelas since its April 2025 debut. The Xhosa language drama is built around the Mabandla and Ngcukana families, where inheritance and long-buried betrayal keep colliding. Zoleka's return after two decades away set the tone, and the show has not eased off since.
Blood Legacy picks up two years after Xolile Tshabalala’s character, Khanyi, was wrongfully implicated in her father’s death. What she finds out is that a covert operation, orchestrated by a politician, is responsible for all her troubles. In the midst of dealing with the trauma, her brothers become entangled in their own dilemmas with Mandla (played by Buyile Mdladla) succumbing to political corruption.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Nyala O… (South Africa)
'Nyala O…' is a telenovela currently streaming on Mzansi Magic.courtesy of Mzansi Magic.
Nyala O… arrived on Mzansi Magic in July with a premise that is refreshingly unglamorous: three marriages, and one question about what survives the vows. Anchoring it is Mapaseka Koetle, whose character is a career woman whose 15-year marriage buckles under a floodgate of secrets surrounding her husband. Around her sit Tsholofelo Matshaba's Mapula, adjusting to an emptying house, and Cindy Mahlangu's Lerato, whose comfort rests on a shifting balance of money and pride. Three episodes a week keeps this a brisk, occasionally airless watch.
Where to Watch: Mzansi Magic
Uncanny Alley: A New Day (South Africa)
'Uncanny Alley: A New Day,' a collaboration between Cape Town immersive studio Virtual Worlds Company and Los Angeles company Ferryman Collective, is one of just three nominees in the Outstanding Emerging Media Program category at the Primetime Emmys.courtesy of Virtual Worlds Company/Ferryman Collective.
Uncanny Alley: A New Day is a rare piece of virtual reality theatre that is staged inside a VRChat. It drops audiences into a cyberpunk back alley as escaped detainees running from a corporation in the business of erasing memories. Two actors carry 15 characters live, so no performance repeats itself. Rick Treweek's world began during lockdown as a place where people could stand near one another again. It premiered in competition at Venice Immersive 2024, where it won the Fanheart3 XR Fan Experience Award, and has since been presented at SXSW, Raindance Immersive, NewImages Festival, Augmented World Expo and SIGGRAPH, winning the XR Immersive Award at Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan and Gold at the XRMust Awards, among other accolades.
Where to Watch: Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater
East Africa — Paula Adhis
One Woman One Bra (Kenya)
A still from One Woman One Bra shows Star, played by Sarah Karei, inside a traditional homestead.Screengrab from 'One Woman One Bra.'
Kenyan filmmaker Vincho Nchogu’s feature debut One Woman One Bra is a 2025 comedy-drama. Sarah Karei stars as Star, a 38-year-old unmarried orphan whose village is distributing land titles based on family ties. With no husband, children or known lineage, Star risks losing her home. Her fight for the land takes an unexpected turn when she discovers her childhood photo on the cover of a book, opening questions about her past. The film takes aim at gender inequality and the sometimes exploitative role of NGOs in rural communities.
Where to watch: Screening in Loita on September 7, followed by its Nairobi premiere on September 10 and a week-long run at Prestige Cinema and Anga Cinema Diamond Plaza.
Ben’Imana (Rwanda)
A still from Ben’Imana shows Veneranda, played by Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, standing before members of her community.Screengrab from 'Ben’Imana'
Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s acclaimed debut Ben’Imana follows Veneranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide who has rebuilt her life around reconciliation and community healing. But when her teenage daughter becomes pregnant, she is forced to confront painful memories and the limits of forgiveness. The historic film became the first by a Rwandan director to premiere in Cannes’ Official Selection.
Where to watch: Making its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, running September 10–20, 2026.
Last Taxi to Kawempe (Uganda/Canada)
A tense moment from Last Taxi to Kawempe shows a man being held at gunpoint.Screengrab from 'Last Taxi to Kawempe.'
Ugandan Canadian filmmaker Walta Gabriel Busulwa brings Kampala’s late-night streets to the screen in Last Taxi to Kawempe, a tense 24-minute thriller. As young Viola waits anxiously for her mother to return, a gang’s planned robbery begins to unravel, setting off a chain of events that brings their worlds dangerously close. Shot in Luganda, the short is a Kampala story shaped by Busulwa’s diasporic filmmaking perspective.
Where to watch: Making its London debut on September 19, 2026 at Tensor Studios.
West Africa — Nelson C.J
The Spectacular Death of Prisca (Nigeria)
The Spectacular Death of Prisca, directed by Kaelo Iyizoba, is an absurdist drama-comedy inspired by the pomp and excess theatrics of old Nollywood films.Courtesy of The Spectacular Death of Prisca.
Set to debut at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, The Spectacular Death of Prisca, directed by Kaelo Iyizoba, is an absurdist drama-comedy inspired by the pomp and excess theatrics of old Nollywood films. It explores a woman’s relationship with her daughter and the complications of landing in a life you must fight your way out of. The film follows Prisca (Rita Dominic), who, on the day of her daughter’s wedding, is transported into the dizzying world of an Old Nollywood film and must confront her fears around motherhood and losing her daughter. The film, which also stars Genoveva Umeh, Shamz Garuba and more, is one of only three Nigerian films premiering at the festival this year.
Where to watch: TIFF 2026
Black Market (Nigeria)
This star-studded film aims to break a Guinness World Record.Black Market trailer/YouTube.
Black Market is a thriller directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay that is also attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the most people to screen a film in a single location. With the producers planning to have 50,000 people in one arena, surpassing the current record of 43,000, Black Market is aiming for a spot in Nigeria’s already impressive feats this year. Black Market is a heart-racing story full of twists and turns. The film stars Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Teniola Aladese and many others.
