Our Story
It Started With
a Child's Question.
Why aren't any of these cartoons Zambian?
The Cartoons That Started Everything
Growing up in Zambia, Joseph Mwale did what every kid did — came home, switched on the TV, and got lost in cartoons. BTV, SABC, ZNBC, MuviTV, TBN. Hours of Zoro, Astro Boy, Sandokan, Virus Attack. Reading comics — Super Strikers page by page. Watching Shrek, The Jungle Book, marvelling at what 3D animation could do. Then Dragon Ballz, Naruto — whole worlds built from imagination.
But somewhere between episodes, a thought crept in that wouldn't leave: "None of these are Zambian."
Japan had anime. America had Disney and Pixar. Nigeria was building Nollywood. Where was Zambia?
From Watching to Doing — and Seeing the Gap
Joseph grew up to become an artist and dancer. And as he moved through Zambia's creative spaces — the art scenes, the dance halls, the gatherings by Chilenje Hall where creatives met — he saw the same story repeating itself.
Passionate people. Real talent. But finances held them back. Many couldn't afford the gadgets to document their work, let alone share it with the world. Months would pass and only those with some income could keep pushing. Only a few got noticed. Only a few got hired.
The rest got discouraged. And Zambia quietly lost what they could have built.
"I saw that we had a lot of passionate dancers and artists. But many struggled. Unable to afford gadgets that could help them document their work and show to the world. Only those that had some form of income could push their talents forward — and only a few would be recognised and called or hired. This discouraged many."
— Joseph Mwale
The Detour That Became the Dream
The original dream was always animation. But Joseph realised you can't build a Zambian animation industry without first building the ecosystem that nurtures the talent that will create it.
So HPE expanded — from animators and sketch artists to dancers, poets, musicians, and every creative in between. Build the platform first. Build the community. Then make the film.
The goal hasn't changed. It's just grown.
The Big Dream
"The Two Sisters
and the Mosquito"
Zambia's first feature-length animated film. A story rooted in Zambian culture, told by Zambian artists, for the world to see. The cartoon that a Zambian child will grow up watching and think —"that one is ours."
In development — built on the foundation HPE is laying today.
Let's elevate the standards of talent.
Be part of the story.
Every creator who joins HPE today is a chapter in the story of Zambia's creative future.