The Animation School

The Animation School The Animation School offers a three-year full time Animation Diploma - leading specialist animation training institution in South Africa. Enjoy.

A proud member of Honoris United Universities Hello and welcome to what could just be your exciting future in 3D-Animation and Visual Effects! Given the ever-changing nature of the thrilling animation industry, the learning curve is becoming increasingly steep. And the days of self-taught hopefuls breaking into the business without any formal training are over. The Animation School is Africa’s lea

ding higher education institution specialising in Animation. We are a registered private higher education institution with the Department of Higher Education in South Africa, and are internationally recognised as one of the top 25 institutions in the world, by international career review. As a third-year student of the school you will get to work on ad hoc projects alongside industry colleagues to gain very real on-the-job training and experience. Something potential employers will expect - and something you can’t learn from a textbook. Practical training like ours is now more important than ever before. Our curriculum has also been designed to give you a powerful command of the current tools and techniques used in Animation and Visual Effects production. But most importantly, the 3-year programme will heighten your aesthetic senses and push your artistic development even further. Thank you for taking the time to consider us. This site is jam packed with a lot of important information and excellent student work so read it closely. We also suggest that you catch our presentation. Click “play video” to watch it.

🎬 Episode 2 | Is AI where Animation goes to die? In this episode, Tim Argall is joined by Andrew McNally, Emmy-nominated...
08/09/2026

🎬 Episode 2 | Is AI where Animation goes to die?

In this episode, Tim Argall is joined by Andrew McNally, Emmy-nominated director and TAS alumnus.

With years of experience in both advertising and animated film, Andrew's credits include the acclaimed short-film, 'Moremi' for Disney's Kizazi Moto.

Andrew shares his views on where AI currently compliments the animation pipeline and where it doesn’t. Amid the torrent of information filling our feeds, Andrew believes unique stories and perspectives are more important than ever and suggests only creative boldness in brand advertising will stand out.

Andrew highlights the importance of learning foundational lighting and camera skills and describes a Blender block-out workflow that gives him complete creative control. For him, understanding the principles and processes behind animation enables artists to decide when to employ AI as a tool, which at this stage is primarily in the previs phase of his work.

🎙️ Watch the full interview now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VpKJWXcVtQM

Dreaming of a career in animation, visual effects, game design or concept art? 🎬✨Wondering what it’s really like to stud...
07/09/2026

Dreaming of a career in animation, visual effects, game design or concept art? 🎬✨

Wondering what it’s really like to study animation at The Animation School?

Join us LIVE this Saturday for our Virtual Open Day and get an inside look at our courses, creative careers and what you could create with the right skills behind you.

📅 Saturday, 12 September
🕚 11:00 AM
📍 LIVE on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/KZT3K-lDQhg

Whether you're already sketching characters, building worlds, obsessed with games or simply wondering “Could I actually do this?”, come find out! 👀

04/09/2026

When life gives you dung… build a tower. 🪲💩

Meet the two tiny builders at the heart of Undeturd, the next film in our series of 2025 student film releases.

👏 A huge congratulations to the team behind Undeturd!
Tayla Coetzee
Gen Schwulst
Nqobile Mazibuko
Rampou Kotsokoane
Alesandra Clarke
Owen Moodley
Ronewa Maphala
Oratiloe Mokoena
Tshepang Tlhako
Music Score - Wayne Simpson
Sound Design – Pete o Donoghue

🍿 Head to YouTube to watch the full film NOW!
https://youtu.be/_abcseaL1nc

🎬 Episode 1 | Is AI where Animation goes to die?In this, the first of 5 episodes, Tim Argall sits down with acclaimed BA...
01/09/2026

🎬 Episode 1 | Is AI where Animation goes to die?

In this, the first of 5 episodes, Tim Argall sits down with acclaimed BAFTA award-winning animation director Daniel Snaddon to discuss the future of animation in an increasingly AI-fixated world.

Dan has decades of experience on local and international productions including Sunrise Studio’s David and the award-winning BBC specials Stick Man, Zog and The Snail and the Whale, produced at Triggerfish Animation for Magic Light Pictures. Dan has a deep love for story and the craft of animation and has questions around AI’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Can AI be used ethically and dependably in a production? And what does its emergence mean for students of animation and their careers?

🎙️ Watch the full interview now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YbCbyIo_CuM

🎬 Animation isn’t just something you watch. It’s something you can CREATE.So… what are you waiting for? 👀Join us at The ...
31/08/2026

🎬 Animation isn’t just something you watch. It’s something you can CREATE.

So… what are you waiting for? 👀

Join us at The Animation School Open Day this Saturday, 5 September and see what it takes to turn your ideas, characters and stories into a career.

📅 5 September 2026
📍 Cape Town & Johannesburg
🕚 10:30 for 11:00

Book your spot today: https://theanimationschool.co.za/open-day/ and take the first step towards your animation career.

See you Saturday!

28/08/2026

Every escape has a destination. But where will this one lead? 💜🌸

Enter the world of Escape to You, our next student film, where every detail may mean more than meets the eye.

👏 A huge congratulations to the team behind Escape to You!

Student Production Team:
Ammaar Liberty
Anouk Srp
Devon Stolp
Keegan Leach
Keesha Williams
Omphile Moyo
Radhesh Pillay
Raoul Essop
Shannah Duffield
Tejas Harri
Zara Hartle

🍿 Head to YouTube to watch the full film NOW!
https://youtu.be/Blsv3eGQduw

27/08/2026

From the first spark of an idea to polished orthographic views, our first-year Online students are already building the foundations of professional character design.

As part of their Visual Development course, they explored every stage of the creative process: developing character biographies, conducting real-world and style research, sketching and refining concepts, creating expressive clean line work, selecting colour palettes, and producing production-ready turnaround sheets.

We're incredibly proud of the dedication, creativity, and growth these students have shown.
Clara Qualls
Theodore Synodinos
Conrad Botha
Ethan Myburgh
Lizemari Barnard
Miazel Beukes

This is what happens when passion meets the right guidance.

Ready to bring your own characters to life? Apply now: https://bit.ly/3Rubqw2 and next year you could be creating your very own characters.

A big thank you to Storm Arendse for sharing his lighting knowledge and inspiration with our first-year students! 🎨💡Stor...
25/08/2026

A big thank you to Storm Arendse for sharing his lighting knowledge and inspiration with our first-year students! 🎨💡

Storm, a 2019 graduate of The Animation School, joined our students for an insightful session on lighting, with the session being streamed from our Cape Town campus to our Johannesburg campus and Online students, giving our students across the country the opportunity to learn from industry talent.

In his third year in 2019, Storm worked on the animated film The Boy and the Robin.

🎬 Haven’t seen The Boy and the Robin yet? Head over to YouTube and give it a watch!
https://youtu.be/0sxtTg8536I?si=XfSTCIhkwMivepS5

We love seeing our alumni return to TAS to share their knowledge, experience and passion with the next generation. ❤️

📣 ONE MONTH TO GO! 🎉Comic Con Africa Johannesburg is almost here, and The Animation School will be there! 🎨✨From 24 Sept...
24/08/2026

📣 ONE MONTH TO GO! 🎉

Comic Con Africa Johannesburg is almost here, and The Animation School will be there! 🎨✨

From 24 September, come find us in Hall 5, Stand C537 and step into the world of animation.

Thinking about studying animation? Curious about what it takes to turn your creativity into a career? Or simply want to chat about animation, our programmes, student life and what our alumni have gone on to achieve? Come say hi! 👋

Our team will be ready to answer your questions, share insights and help you discover where a future in animation could take you.

📍 Hall 5 | Stand C537
🗓️ Comic Con Africa Johannesburg
⏳ Only ONE MONTH to go!

Study animation from anywhere. 💻✨Join our Virtual Open Day on 29 August at 11:00 AM on The Animation School's YouTube ch...
24/08/2026

Study animation from anywhere. 💻✨

Join our Virtual Open Day on 29 August at 11:00 AM on The Animation School's YouTube channel. Discover our online programmes, explore student work, and learn how to turn your creativity into a career.

📅 29 August 2026
🕚 11:00 AM
📺 Live on YouTube https://bit.ly/45GTvtd

Set your reminder and join us!

Address

42 Searle Street
Cape Town
7925

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

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