What Chocolate Tribe does

Chocolate Tribe is a Johannesburg-headquartered visual effects and animation studio founded in 2014, with a second office in Cape Town (opened October 2022, relocated August 2023). The studio delivers project-based VFX, compositing, character and creature animation, motion-capture integration, colour grading, and set-extension work for advertising agencies, production companies, broadcasters, and streaming platforms including Netflix, BBC, Disney+, Lionsgate, Showmax, and History Channel. Marquee projects include Netflix's Queen Sono (300 shots across six episodes), The Kitchen (250+ shots), BBC's Noughts and Crosses (400+ shots), the History Channel's Roots Episode 1 (VES Award nominee), and award-winning advertising campaigns for Chicken Licken, KFC, Nedbank, MTN, Volkswagen, and Pick n Pay.

The studio operates on an industry-standard software stack — Autodesk Maya, Foundry Nuke, Redshift, Arnold, Houdini, Blender, Substance Painter, DaVinci Resolve, Unreal Engine, and Adobe Creative Cloud — augmented by proprietary in-house pipeline tools and a custom hybrid AI solution used for large-scale crowd simulation, digi-doubles, and performance-capture processing. Infrastructure includes 30 production seats, 300 m² of primary office space plus 50 m² of overflow capacity, and 4K-standard Nuke Studio and DaVinci Resolve colour-grading suites.

The business model is B2B professional services: project-based fees negotiated per engagement based on scope, complexity, shot count, and timeline. GTM is enterprise field sales driven by direct relationships, portfolio credibility (Loeries Grand Prix, Cannes Lions, Ciclope Africa, VES Awards), and recurring agency partnerships with Joe Public, Ogilvy, and Romance Films. The company holds BBBEE Level 1 certification, providing preferential procurement status in the South African market, and has ~30 employees with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.

Name

Chocolate Tribe

Legal name

Chocolate Tribe

Website

https://chocolatetribe.co.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chocolate Tribe is a Johannesburg-headquartered VFX and animation studio serving advertising agencies, production companies, and streaming platforms with compositing, character animation, crowd simulation, and post-production services across film, episodic, and commercial projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Visual Effects Services: Project-based fees for VFX work on feature films, TV series, commercials, and music videos. Revenue generated through direct client engagements with agencies, production companies, and streaming platforms. Pricing varies by project complexity, shot count, and production timeline.
2. Animation Services: Fees for character animation, creature animation, and full CGI work on commercials and film projects. Includes rigging, modeling, texturing, and rendering services.
3. Compositing and Post-Production: Charges for compositing, colour grading, and post-production finishing services across film and advertising projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chocolate Tribe is a South African visual effects and animation studio that delivers full-service VFX and animation production for film, television, streaming platforms, and advertising. Services include compositing, 3D modeling, matchmoving, digital matte painting, set extensions, character and creature animation with motion capture, colour grading, and post-production finishing. The studio operates in-house Nuke compositing suites and DaVinci Resolve colour grading facilities, and has delivered projects for Netflix, BBC, Lionsgate, Disney+, and major South African brands.

Product overview

Chocolate Tribe is a South African visual effects and animation studio offering a comprehensive suite of production services. The company operates as a single unified service offering centered around VFX and animation production rather than a modular software platform. Core services include Visual Effects (VFX) compositing and simulation, Animation (character rigging, motion capture, creature work), Content Development, and proprietary Technology and Training solutions. The studio also provides in-house facilities including Nuke Studios and Colour Grading Studios. Their work spans advertising campaigns, feature films, episodic television, and music videos, serving clients including Netflix, Lionsgate, Disney+, and major South African brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AVIJOZI: A separate brand/entity mentioned on the company website

Products and services

• Visual Effects (VFX)

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 300 VFX shots across 6 episodes for Netflix's Queen Sono
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quizzical PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ongoing collaboration on Netflix productions including 'Marked' and 'iNumber Number: Jozi Gold'. Chocolate Tribe serves as VFX vendor for feature film projects.
• GlassworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Ongoing collaboration on international projects including Penny Christmas ads, Audible campaigns, and Huesitos. Joint character rigging and animation work.
• Nexus StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Co-production partner on 'Robot & Scarecrow' short film with DMC Film and Factory Fifteen. Executive producer Michael Fassbender attached to project.
• Automatik VFXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Collaborated on sci-fi film 'Revolt' (2017) with Voltage Pictures. Rob van den Bragt served as VFX supervisor on the heavy VFX shoot.
• Factory FifteencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Production partner on 'Robot & Scarecrow' short film and BBC's 'Noughts and Crosses'. UK-based visual storytelling studio.
• The MillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Historical collaboration on Sama Lotus New City 2040 (co-directed with Rob van den Bragt), Comfort 'Do The Moves', and earlier career projects. London-based production studio.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Weta FX: New Zealand-based major VFX studio famous for feature work and increasingly active in episodic. Comparable on premium film/series VFX but with much larger team, proprietary technology, and balance sheet.
• Framestore: Major global VFX and immersive experience studio with film, episodic, advertising, and location-based entertainment work. Competes with Chocolate Tribe on premium feature/series VFX but operates at materially larger scale.
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm's VFX and entertainment division — the largest premium VFX house globally. Competes with Chocolate Tribe on flagship Netflix/Disney+/Lionsgate episodic work but at vastly larger scale and with proprietary technology.
• DNEG: One of the largest global VFX and animation houses serving feature film, episodic, and advertising. Overlaps directly with Chocolate Tribe on Netflix/streaming episodic VFX but with vastly greater headcount and capital base.

Direct peers

• The Mill: Global creative and VFX studio with strong advertising, film, and immersive content practices. Direct comparable to Chocolate Tribe on premium commercial VFX, and Chocolate Tribe leadership (Rob van den Bragt) has prior Mill pedigree.
• Luma Pictures: Boutique-to-mid-size VFX studio delivering feature and episodic work for major studios. Closely comparable to Chocolate Tribe on project scale, service mix (VFX/animation), and tier-1 client base.
• Method Studios: Global creative and VFX studio with strong advertising and episodic practice. Direct competitor to Chocolate Tribe for premium commercial VFX and post-production finishing.
• Rising Sun Pictures: Australian boutique VFX studio delivering high-end film and episodic work for global clients. Same positioning as Chocolate Tribe: boutique, premium-quality, internationally awarded, episodic/feature focus.

Regional players

• Triggerfish Animation Studios: Cape Town-based animation studio producing feature animation and series content. Chocolate Tribe has delivered rigging work to Triggerfish (Seal Team) — comparable on South African animation ecosystem but Triggerfish is IP-ownership oriented.
• Black Ginger: South African VFX and animation studio based in Cape Town serving advertising and film clients. Closest regional peer to Chocolate Tribe within the South African market, competing for similar local agency and international briefs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/chocolatetribe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chocolate-tribe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chocolate Tribe