African Movies on Netflix
Last updated December 11, 2023
Winnie Mandela
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsSouth Africa's Winnie Mandela, one of the most galvanizing public figures in modern history, comes to life in this absorbing biopic. Though it traces Winnie's whole story, the film hinges on the Apartheid-era imprisonment that would define her image.
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Faith Like Potatoes
2006 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsBased on a true story, this inspiring drama centers on white farmer Angus Buchan, who -- weary of the conflict in Zambia -- moves his family to South Africa, where they try to transform a bare plot of land into a working farm.
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Beat the Drum
2003 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWhen a mysterious illness wipes out his entire village, claiming the lives of both his parents, 9-year-old Musa (Junior Singo) is forced to set off on his own, eventually joining the ranks of the scores of orphans who live on the streets of Johannesburg. Directed by David Hickson, this poignant award-winning film examines the heartbreaking effect that AIDS has had on the poor and underprivileged children of Africa.
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Angels in the Dust
2007 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIn a nation ravaged by AIDS and the aftereffects of apartheid, middle-class Marion Cloete leaves her Johannesburg suburb behind to establish a village and school for South Africa's orphans.
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Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsWith dreams of making enough to buy his seaside dream house, young Lucky Kunene (Rapulana Seiphemo) adopts a small-time criminal lifestyle that balloons into big-time crime, attracting the attention of local law enforcement and stoking the ire of a powerful drug lord. Writer Ralph Ziman also directs this gritty tale of desperation and blind ambition set in the shadow of apartheid-era South Africa and inspired by a true story.
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Tell Me and I Will Forget
2010 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsJustin Salerian follows South African paramedics from Pretoria and Johannesburg who face a surge of violent crime and historic social change 15 years since the end of its oppressive Apartheid era.
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Sarafina!
1992 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsCatch this inspirational story about a girl battling the oppression of apartheid in South Africa. Schoolgirl Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) lives in Soweto. Her mother lives in Johannesburg, where she works for a white family. Missing her mother, Sarafina puts her energy into fighting for freedom. When police shoot and kill protesting students supporting their teacher (Whoopi Goldberg), Sarafina is arrested as a demonstrator and faces prison and torture.
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Tsotsi
2005 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsAfter shooting a woman and driving off in her car, a ruthless thug is surprised to discover he isn't alone, kept company by a crying infant in the backseat. But through his efforts to care for the baby, he slowly rediscovers his capacity to love.
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Journey to Grace: The Hansie Cronje Story
2008 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsA champion South African cricket player, Hansie Cronje had earned respect for himself, the sport and his country. After being lured into a notorious match-fixing scandal, he embarks on a journey toward redemption.
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Lucky
2011 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsVowing to make something of himself, Lucky, a 10-year-old South African orphan, leaves the security of his remote village for the big city. There, he forges an unlikely bond with an elderly Indian woman.
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Safari Encyclopedia
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsPresenting information in an especially kid-friendly format, this documentary spotlights the characteristics and behaviors of zebras, lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards and other animal species that roam the wilds of Africa.
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21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children
2006 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsThe concept of the Up Series -- documentaries that revisit a group of children every seven years -- is brought to post-apartheid South Africa. Here, filmmaker Angus Gibson interviews 11 young people of various races and backgrounds as they turn 21.
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Black Girl
1966 | NR | 3.4 out of 5 StarsWorking as a governess for a wealthy French family, a young Senegalese woman (Mbissine Therese Diop) accompanies her charges on a vacation to the French Riviera, where her white mistress (Anne-Marie Jelinek) suddenly expects her to do the work of a common maid. This racially charged drama from Senegalese writer-director Ousmane Sembene is often recognized as one of the seminal works of African cinema.
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Little Senegal
2011 | NR | 3.4 out of 5 StarsAfter working as a tour guide at a slavery museum in Senegal, Alloune goes to America to learn about his ancestors, who were sold as slaves and taken to the New World 200 years earlier. There, Alloune meets a woman who might be a distant relative.
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Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets
2000 | NR | 3.4 out of 5 StarsAli, Kwita, Omar and Boukber are a group of urchins living on the hard streets of Casablanca, their everyday lives filled with violence, begging and indifference. To survive, the four youths create a bond of friendship and family among them.
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White Wedding
2009 | NR | 3.4 out of 5 StarsGroom-to-be Elvis confronts a tide of obstacles when he tries to cover the 1,000 miles to Cape Town, South Africa, in time for his wedding. At the same time, his fiancée Ayanda faces different challenges in the run-up to their wedding.
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Stander
2003 | NR | 3.4 out of 5 StarsDisgusted by corruption within the force, South African cop Andre Stander begins robbing banks incognito and then investigating his own heists. He's soon caught and sent to jail, but he escapes and becomes a cult hero.
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The Wedding Song
2008 | NR | 3.3 out of 5 StarsWhile preparing for their respective weddings in 1942 Tunisia, two young women -- one a Muslim, the other a Jew -- find their friendship becoming deeply strained as the Nazi occupation affects their lives in drastic ways.
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3D Dive
2011 | NR | 3.3 out of 5 StarsThis immersive documentary series takes viewers deep below the water's surface to explore the beautiful coral reefs of the Red Sea, the bustling marine life of Mozambique and the amazing underwater ecosystems of South Africa.
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3D Dive
2011 | NR | 3.3 out of 5 StarsThis stunning documentary series offers an unparalleled immersive experience in which divers explore mangrove swamps, springs on the savannah, underwater wreckage and some of the world's most amazing coral reefs.
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Dreams of Dust
2007 | NR | 3.3 out of 5 StarsNigerian farmer Mocktar comes to Essakane, a dusty gold mining camp in Burkina Faso, seeking work. Haunted by a tragedy-laden past, Mocktar stoically adapts to the horrid working conditions of his fellow miners. Enter the beautiful widow Coumba, who shares Mocktar's endurance but dreams of a better life. Director Laurent Salgues also penned this independent drama about greed and redemption, a 2007 Sundance Film Festival competition entry.
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Welcome to Nollywood
2007 | NR | 3.2 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Jamie Meltzer explores Nigeria's newly emerging film industry -- known as Nollywood -- in this fascinating documentary. In West Africa, Nollywood films have become even more popular than Hollywood and Bollywood imports. Meltzer examines the unique challenges Nigerian filmmakers face; follows three directors during filming; and interviews actors, journalists and film experts to gain further insight.
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Master Harold...and the Boys
2010 | NR | 3.2 out of 5 StarsYoung white South African Hally finds himself trapped between the views of his bigoted father and of the black man who takes care of him, Sam, in this film adaptation of the critically acclaimed play by Athol Fugard set in the apartheid era.
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Munyurangabo
2007 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsOrphaned by Rwanda's genocide, young Ngabo (Jeff Rutagengwa), a Tutsi, sets off to mete out rough justice with his Hutu friend Sangwa (Eric Ndorunkundiye) in this earnest drama, which netted director Lee Isaac Chung an Independent Spirit Awards nod. Packing a stolen machete, the boys leave the city of Kigali and head to Ngabo's rural village. Along the way, they stop at Sangwa's parents' home -- where their tribal differences soon come to a head.
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Boesman and Lena
2000 | NR | 3.0 out of 5 StarsA homeless South African couple suffering under apartheid finds a place to settle down for the night. What begins as a familiar dialogue between the two, steeped in love and pain, takes an increasingly hostile tone when an old tribesman joins them.
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