OnaStories Group

What OnaStories Group does

OnaStories Group is a privately held creative media company headquartered in Kijitonyama, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, operating as the country's first dedicated AR, VR, and storytelling firm. Founded by Princely H. Glorious and Tulanana Bohela, the company delivers four interconnected service lines: Immersive Media (VR, AR, 360-degree video including live streaming, underwater 360, drone filming, and animation), Digital Storytelling (human-centered narratives for mobile-first digital platforms with an Africa focus), Media Training (digital communications and emerging media workshops), and Documentary and News Features (production for international broadcasters plus pre-production/logistics for inbound film crews). Its work is built on a small core team of approximately 10 staff plus a flexible OnaStories Expert Network of Tanzanian creative freelancers used to scale project delivery.

The company's underlying technology stack is content-production-centric rather than software-platform-centric: it relies on specialized 360 filming rigs (including underwater and drone configurations), AR overlay software for gallery-style experiences, and live streaming infrastructure, with no disclosed proprietary software product, APIs, or patents. Service delivery is custom and project-based, with quote-based pricing and multi-year contract cadence, sold through direct sales engagement with international organizations, government agencies, foundations, and large corporates. Marketing and lead generation rely on founder-led thought leadership (TEDx talks), industry events (Sahara Sparks, S!TE, Festival Imersivo da Favela), earned media (BBC), and content marketing via blog and Medium.

Customer evidence indicates a diversified institutional client base spanning UN agencies (UNCDF, UNHCR, UN-HABITAT, WFP), Tanzanian government (TANESCO), multinational corporates and foundations (Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, Meta, CRDB, Segal Family Foundation, DW Akademie, Aga Khan University). Notable deliverables include 10 impact documentaries for UNCDF, a 360 VR film on the Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Powerplant and Dam for TANESCO, and the first AR gallery in Dar es Salaam for Vodacom Tanzania Foundation. The company is actively operating with no disclosed external funding, no subsidiaries, and no public listing.

Name

OnaStories Group

Legal name

OnaStories Group

Website

https://onastories.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OnaStories Group is a Dar es Salaam-based creative media firm and Tanzania's first dedicated AR, VR, and storytelling company, producing immersive media, digital storytelling, media training, and documentary content for UN agencies, government, foundations, and large corporates across East Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Media Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Teleproduction and Other Postproduction Services (512191)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAFAIAL

Interactive & Immersive Content Production (AR/VR/3D)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Content Marketing & Production (Copy, Video, Design)

SECONDARYMPADAEAF

Event & Experiential Brand Coverage (Recaps, Sizzle Reels)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Commercial & Branded Video Production

SECONDARYBPAFAIAJ

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Content Marketing & Production (Copy, Video, Design)

SECONDARYBPAFAHAD

Creator Content Production & Co-Creation Studios

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Influencer & Creator Marketing

Keywords

• Immersive media production
• Digital storytelling services
• VR AR content creation
• Documentary production
• Media training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Project-based: Custom digital storytelling, documentary production, and immersive media content creation for clients including government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations
2. Media Training Services: Training programs bringing media and communications teams to cutting edge of digital platforms and emerging media technologies
3. AR/VR Content Licensing: Production of AR/VR experiences, 360 films, and immersive content that can be featured and distributed across exhibitions and events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OnaStories Group produces immersive media content (VR, AR, and 360-degree video) and digital storytelling for brands, organizations, and governments across Africa. The company also delivers media training workshops on emerging media and communications, and produces documentary and packaged news features for international broadcasters. Its work is delivered through a core team supported by an Expert Network of Tanzanian creative freelancers specializing in mobile-first, Africa-first narrative content.

Product overview

OnaStories Group is Tanzania's first AR, VR, and Storytelling company offering a portfolio of four interconnected services: Immersive Media (VR, AR, 360 video content creation), Digital Storytelling (mobile-first narrative content for brands and organizations), Media Training (digital communications training programs), and Documentary/News Features production. The company serves clients across Africa with a focus on creating impactful human stories for digital platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immersive Media Production of VR, AR, and 360-degree visual content for organizations, governments, and brands, including 360 live streaming, underwater 360 filming, 360 drone filming, and animation. Designed for clients seeking immersive storytelling experiences for exhibitions, campaigns, and public engagement.
• Digital Storytelling Human-centered storytelling for mobile-first digital platforms with a focus on Africa. Produces branded and original digital narrative content (including news features, mobile series such as 'Her Story', and campaign stories) for international organizations and brands.
• Media Training Training programs that bring media and communications teams to the cutting edge of digital platforms and emerging media. Covers storytelling principles through to immersive technologies and has been delivered to clients such as UNHCR.
• Documentary and News Features Production of customized packaged news features for international news broadcasters, plus pre-production and logistics services for film companies filming in Tanzania. Supports documentary campaigns for development organizations such as UNCDF.

Quantifiable outcome

• First AR gallery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TANESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023TANESCO enlisted OnaStories expertise to create a 360 VR film showcasing the progress of the Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Powerplant and Dam, featured during National Energy Week.
• DW AkademiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint project by DW Akademie and Aga Khan University - Media Innovation Centre fostering media viability in East Africa. Ona Stories hosted Media Innovation Showcase event where Tanzanian media start-ups showcased innovative projects.
• Aga Khan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint project with DW Akademie - Media Innovation Centre aiming to foster media viability in East Africa.
• Festival Imersivo da FavelaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022OnaStories participated in panel on New World: Imagining Black imagination in Immersive realities at the Immersive Favela Festival in Brazil.
• MetaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Co-sponsored Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) 2022 alongside Meta, sharing use cases of immersive technologies with industry stakeholders.
• Sahara SparksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021OnaStories participated in panel discussion on how technology is shaping Africa's creative content and entertainment industry. Also showcased XR enhancing human experience.
• Vodacom Tanzania FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2019OnaStories produced 6 narrative-driven AR stories about lives transformed through Vodacom Foundation's social impact initiatives. The gallery was composed of images that when scanned by an AR application would come alive and play as videos.
• UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnaStories produced 10 impact documentaries for UNCDF across Tanzania, documenting the lives transformed through UNCDF's medical, educational and financial service initiatives.
• UNHCRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnaStories conducted communication training workshop for UNHCR staff.
• UN-HABITATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnaStories showcased storytelling principles and VR/AR technologies at UN-HABITAT Assembly in Kenya.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Triggerfish Animation Studios: South African animation and storytelling studio producing original African animated content for global platforms. Comparable to OnaStories as a Sub-Saharan African studio turning local stories into premium media for international audiences.
• African Storybook: Open-source digital storytelling platform producing illustrated African-language stories for mobile-first audiences. Highly comparable to OnaStories' Africa-first, mobile-first digital storytelling mandate.
• Sea Monster Entertainment: South African immersive content, animation, and gamified storytelling studio. Closest functional peer as a Sub-Saharan Africa-based firm producing AR/VR and interactive media for brands and development organizations.

Others

• DW Akademie: Deutsche Welle's media development organization and a documented partner of OnaStories for media viability training in East Africa. Comparable as a capacity-building and training provider in the African media ecosystem.

Regional players

• Buni Media: Tanzanian animation and digital media production company. Comparable as a fellow Tanzanian storytelling/content studio serving regional and international clients.
• Ubongo: Tanzania-headquartered African edutainment and digital media company producing animated and video learning content. Comparable as a Tanzania-anchored digital content producer, though focused on children's education rather than immersive AR/VR.

Emerging players

• Within (VR storytelling platform): Immersive VR content platform distributing premium 360 and VR storytelling. Comparable as a VR-first storytelling distribution and production platform, though operating at global rather than African scale.
• Baobab Studios: US-based immersive animation studio producing VR/AR interactive storytelling experiences. Comparable as a pioneer in immersive narrative content, though focused on entertainment IP rather than development/brand work.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Media Action: BBC's international development charity producing storytelling, training, and communications programs in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable as a much larger incumbent supplying development storytelling and media training to similar UN/NGO clients.
• Meta Africa Creative Programs: Meta's Africa-focused creator and immersive media initiatives (a documented partner via S!TE 2022 co-sponsorship). Comparable as a large platform incumbent investing in African immersive content and creator ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onastories

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 OnaStories Group