Anime and Manga Panel Discussion at TICAD9
JETRO held a panel discussion titled "Japanese Anime Penetrating Africa! Hearing from African Otaku about the Appeal of Anime and Manga" on August 22 as a thematic event during the TICAD Business EXPO & Conference (TBEC) at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). Cameroon-born manga artist René Hoshino served as moderator, with content creators and otaku event founders from Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria as panelists.
Actual Penetration of Japanese Anime Culture in Africa
Grassroots-level proliferation: Hoshino shared an episode of children in a small Cameroonian village enjoying Dragon Ball special attack phrases and poses, demonstrating the deep penetration of Japanese anime.
Global empathy: Egyptian cosplayer Ziyad El-Maharawy praised the "connecting" power of Japanese anime, noting how people who love specific characters can find empathy worldwide.
Market Potential for Anime-related Business
Nigerian market: According to George Sadie-Oparaocha of Otaku Connect, the anime and manga market is expanding mainly among young people with significant potential. Young people participate in large numbers at paid otaku events and show high purchasing intent.
South African market: Content creator Shakira Seetfore noted that "the community has already grown," introducing that Comic Con Africa attracts 70,000 people annually, with many anime fans saving money specifically for this event.
Strong Demand for Official Product Distribution
Current supply shortage: Seetfore stated that "Africa has limited supply of anime goods and cosplay items despite high demand, and we expect Japanese companies to enter the market."
Piracy issues: According to Sadie-Oparaocha, while there is strong demand for anime-related products including apparel, posters, and figures in Nigeria, most distributed products are unlicensed pirated imports, making the establishment of official distribution channels urgent.
Egyptian situation: El-Maharawy noted that Egypt also has very limited product lineups, stating that "fans are eager for any products" and strongly appealing for Japanese anime-related companies to enter the licensing business.
Implications for Business Opportunities
One characteristic of African markets is their large young population, and Japanese pop culture is one key to capturing this demographic. The panelists' testimonies clearly demonstrate the maturity of the Japanese anime and manga market in Africa and the existence of significant business opportunities through official product distribution.