The Digital Creator Africa Academy for Microdrama (DCAA) has officially launched as Africa’s first specialised institution dedicated to building a sustainable ecosystem for vertical content and microdrama production. The Academy is focused on preparing African creators for short-form, mobile-first storytelling across monetised platforms.
DCAA was co-founded by Pan-African creative strategist Ifeoma “Oma” Areh and media innovator Elijah Affi. The founders said the Academy was created to equip African creators with the skills, tools and global strategies needed to compete in the $26 billion vertical video market. Unlike conventional film schools, DCAA operates as a career accelerator rather than a purely academic institution.
The programme targets 300 experienced filmmakers, videographers and writers, supporting their transition from traditional horizontal storytelling to the high-growth world of vertical microdrama. It is designed for working professionals who already understand storytelling but must adapt to the fast-paced, mobile-first demands of today’s streaming ecosystem.
Although the Academy formally launches this week, its presence has already been felt across the continent. Since September 2025, DCAA has carried out an extensive educational tour, engaging filmmakers and content creators at major industry events including the Soweto International Film Festival, The Kingdom Film Festival, and Africa Creative Market.
Through this tour, the Academy introduced African creatives to the global shift toward vertical storytelling while identifying high-potential talent ready to scale. The organisers said this early engagement helped position the Academy strongly ahead of its official launch. As a result, DCAA enters its launch phase and has received hundreds of applications from creatives encountered during the roadshow.
A key objective of the Academy is to bridge Africa’s revenue gap in the premium vertical drama space. While African creators have achieved wide reach on open platforms such as YouTube, the continent remains underrepresented on monetised vertical drama platforms including ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax.
DCAA plans to close this gap by training creators in pacing, visual language, episodic hooks and storytelling structures required to succeed on these global platforms. Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, co-founder Ifeoma “Oma” Areh said the Academy is focused on creators who are ready to operate at scale.
“DCAA is building an ecosystem for African microdrama that combines creative excellence with business and distribution intelligence, ensuring African stories can compete profitably on the global stage,” she said.
The Academy’s curriculum blends African storytelling traditions with proven microdrama frameworks from vertical markets. Its faculty includes professionals drawn from China’s duanju industry, India, and leading Western streaming hubs.
A major feature of the programme is the integration of Artificial Intelligence to reduce production costs and timelines, enabling small teams to deliver quality content efficiently. Participants will train within a studio-based model and graduate as production units.
The free, three-week intensive programme runs across six specialised streams: scriptwriting, directing, production, editing, AI filmmaking and acting. Each stream is tailored to vertical storytelling and mobile viewing.
The launch of DCAA is supported by industry partners, including Ingene Studios, Africa Creative Market, TechMedia Foundation, Digital Native Africa, Fourth Mainland, and WildPepper Studios. Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort, with filmmakers from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and the African diaspora invited to apply via the Digital Creator Africa Academy website online.
