Both Worlds, Freeli Films Launch First U.S.-Africa Co-Production Partnership for Microdramas, With Taye Diggs Set to Star

The partnership between the South African and Atlanta-based production companies looks to bring the microdrama trend to Africa's booming mobile market.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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International Emmy-nominated South African production company Both Worlds and Atlanta-based outfit Freeli Films have launched a co-production partnership to develop and produce premium microdrama series and feature films. The productions will be shot in South Africa, across the continent, and in the U.S., with Taye Diggs set to star in the companies' first co-productions. The partnership marks the first in a series of international co-production agreements Both Worlds intends to establish under its new Amazi content brand and production entity.

Why it matters

The partnership aims to capitalize on Africa's booming mobile market and the growing demand for locally-produced, short-form vertical content. By pairing established U.S. talent like Taye Diggs with African performers, the companies hope to bring greater representation and authenticity to the microdrama genre.

The details

The Amazi content brand will focus on developing hyperlocal African series produced with local casts in local languages, as well as premium English-language co-productions with international partners. The distribution strategy is built around partnerships with major mobile operators across Africa, allowing Amazi to reach the continent's over 1 billion mobile viewers.

  • The partnership was announced at the Joburg Film Festival on March 5, 2026.
  • Both Worlds began producing its first microdramas in November 2025.

The players

Both Worlds

An international Emmy-nominated South African production company with nearly three decades of award-winning production work, a creative team with deep roots in African storytelling and broadcasting, and strong distribution relationships.

Freeli Films

An Atlanta-based production company built by CEO J. Carter with the explicit mission of centering Black stories and Black talent both in front of and behind the camera.

Taye Diggs

An American actor who has been tapped to feature in the companies' first co-productions, pairing the U.S. star with established South African and African performers.

Flavia Motsisi

The executive producer who has been tapped as Amazi's chief creative officer.

J. Carter

The CEO of Freeli Films.

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What they’re saying

“Africa has always had dynamic and extraordinary stories. What has been missing is a format built for the way Africans actually watch on the phone, in local languages, in content that reflects their own lives. Amazi is our answer to that. And the partnership with Freeli Films is rooted in something we share: the conviction that representation is not a gesture towards an audience; it is the foundation the work is built on.”

— Flavia Motsisi, Chief Creative Officer, Amazi

“Partnering with Both Worlds is more than an international collaboration — it's a strategic alignment rooted in culture, authenticity and scale. At Freeli Films, we believe in meeting Black audiences where they are, not where the industry assumes they should be. That means creating microdramas and feature films that reflect their realities, ambitions and global influence.”

— J. Carter, CEO, Freeli Films

What’s next

The partnership between Both Worlds and Freeli Films will result in the production of premium microdrama series and feature films, with the first co-productions featuring Taye Diggs set to begin filming in the coming months.

The takeaway

This partnership represents a significant step forward in bringing more authentic, locally-produced content to Africa's booming mobile market, with the potential to expand representation and reach new audiences globally through the microdrama format.