New African series hits Disney Junior

Three new superheroes from Kimoja, a fictitious Southern African city, hit the small screen on Monday in a locally relevant, original animated series

Disney Junior EMEA has announced that Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes, a new  series from Hasbro’s entertainment studio, eOne, will premiere on Disney Junior (DStv channel 309) from Monday, 4 September at 16:00 (CAT).

Kiya & the Kimojo Heroes follows the high-action adventures of African superheroes Kiya (voiced by Dineo du Toit), Motsie (voiced by Fontina Fourtounes) and Jay (voiced by Ian Ho).

Kiya, also known as “Dance Ninja,” is a seven-year-old superhero in her utopian hometown Kimoja City, a dynamic community inspired by the traditions and cultures of Southern Africa and has a special crystal headband with mystical energy that transforms her dance and martial arts talents into amazing Dance Ninja superpowers. Kiya’s two best friends, Motsie, aka, “Tech Racer” and her stepbrother Jay, aka “Flying Rockstar,” have their own crystal-supercharged talents and, together, they are the Kimoja Heroes. When there is trouble in Kimoja City, the Kimoja Heroes ‘shine bright to make things right’ until joy and harmony are restored in their city.

With each episode featuring two 11-minute stories, Kiya’s world features a diverse cast of characters inspired by the landscape, natural beauty and culture of Southern Africa, and focuses on themes of community, empathy and unity.  As a mashup of action, dance and music, the show is visually stunning, with African and Asian-lead characters, Southern African locations and a diverse creative team, including writers, designers and composers from across the globe. 

With each episode featuring two 11-minute stories, Kiya’s world features a diverse cast of characters inspired by the landscape, natural beauty and culture of Southern Africa, and focuses on themes of community, empathy and unity.  As a mashup of action, dance and music, the show is visually stunning, with African and Asian-lead characters, Southern African locations and a diverse creative team, including writers, designers and composers from across the globe. 

Original concept is by writer Robert Vargas “Space Cowboys” and adapted from the character created by Marc Dey (scriptwriter, executive producer) and Kelly Dillon (scriptwriter, executive producer). The series is produced by Frog Box, co-produced by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios and France Télévisions, broadcast by Disney Junior, and distributed by Entertainment One (eOne) and Hasbro. Hasbro’s Olivier Dumont and Triggerfish’s Anthony Silverston executive-produced the series while scriptwriters Tshepo Moche ‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire’ and Raffaella Delle Donne ‘Zambezia’, ‘Khumba’ worked as writers and executive creative consultants.

Joining the cast in recurring roles are the following:

• Bonko Khoza (‘The Wife’) as Daddy Jo, Kiya’s father and the owner of a food truck.
• Sne Dladla (‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire’) as Bra Jabu, the owner of a produce stand.
• Christian Campbell as Zane/Acrobrat, a young Kimojan who turns into Acrobrat when he doesn’t get his way.
• Nancy Sekhokoane as MC Harmony, the events coordinator of Kimoja City.
• Chumisa Cosa as Aunty Busi, an aunty to everyone in the village, who is always out and about and always gets her hair done by Shandu.
• Maja Vujicic as Haddy Collider, a super scientist villain who uses her genius and her Kimoja crystal to try to out-do the Kimoja heroes.
• Cory Doran as Galactoslug is Haddy’s sidekick and super funny slug with a not-so-secret desire to dance and be a hero like Kiya.
• Tumelo Mosese as Primadonna, a glamorous villain with telekinesis that wreaks havoc when things don’t go her way – a literal prima donna.
• Hlengiwe Lushaba as Gogo Flo, Kiya’s maternal grandmother who lives with Kiya and Daddy Jo. She is a martial arts expert and teacher.
• Maghan Swaby as Shandu, Motsie’s mother who works as a hairstylist at her salon, which is seen as the community hub.
• Louisa Zhu as Marianne, Jay’s mother who is married to Shandu and works as a safari park worker.

Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes will premiere on Disney Junior (DStv channel 309) from Monday, 4 September at 16:00 (CAT).