What this life looks like
You are the architect of stories. Screenwriters write the scripts — the blueprint — for films, television series, and digital content. Every story on screen begins with a writer. Africa's booming film and TV sector needs writers who can craft compelling, authentic stories rooted in African experience for both local audiences and global platforms hungry for African perspectives.
What she actually does
You develop story ideas into outlines, treatments, and full scripts — structuring narratives, creating vivid characters, writing dialogue, and building the scene-by-scene architecture that a director will bring to life. You pitch your scripts to producers and commissioners, revise based on feedback, and sometimes serve as a showrunner managing a writing team for a series.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| Nollywood | EbonyLife TV, Inkblot Productions, FilmOne, ROK Studios — constant demand for scripts across Nollywood |
| African Television | Africa Magic (Scripted Drama), SABC Drama, KTN Kenya, Akwaaba Magic — all commission scripts |
| Streaming Platforms | Netflix Africa, Showmax, Amazon Prime Africa — commissioning African original scripted content |
| Advertising | Advertising agencies hire copywriters and scriptwriters for commercial content — a well-paying adjacent career |
Why it matters in Africa
Netflix, Showmax, and Canal+ are actively commissioning African content — and they need writers. Nollywood's output of 2,500+ films per year demands thousands of scripts. South African television drama is internationally distributed. The growing Nigerian, Ghanaian, and Kenyan streaming markets are creating new commissioning opportunities for writers with compelling voices.
Your pathway in
- Read scripts obsessively — free scripts for major films and shows are available at websites like IMSDB.com
- Write every day — start with short films and web series, not feature films
- Study screenwriting structure through books like 'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder or 'Story' by Robert McKee
- Submit to screenwriting competitions and fellowships — Nollywood script competitions, Africa Magic Viewers' Choice writing fellowships
- Join writers' rooms or assistant screenwriter positions to learn the craft from working professionals
Skills you will need
- Story structure
- Dialogue writing
- Character development
- Script formatting
- Pitching ideas
- Revision and resilience
A woman in this field
Chinonyerem Odimba
Nigeria/UK
Chinonyerem is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose work spans theatre, television, and film across Africa and the UK. Her plays and scripts explore Black British and African identity with unflinching honesty and lyrical beauty. She has written for BBC, Channel 4, and leading British theatres, and has won numerous awards for new writing. She represents a generation of African women writers whose voices are reshaping what stories the world gets to see.
Take your first step
- Download a free screenplay from the internet — 'Black Panther' or a Nollywood script — and read it alongside watching the film
- Write a 5-page short film script about someone in your community — use proper script format (Final Draft and Celtx both offer free versions)
- Research the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) scriptwriting category — it gives you a sense of what the industry values
- Join an online screenwriting community or find a writing partner to share your work and get feedback
Careers close to this one
- Filmmaker/Director
- Television Producer
- Author/Fiction Writer
- Copywriter
- Podcast Producer