South African animation studio, 'Triggerfish' to open studio in Ireland

Triggerfish, the South African animation studio behind Netflix's first original animated TV series from Africa, plans to open its first international studio in Galway, Ireland, according to a news report by ventureburn.com.

The company, which was founded in 1996, said in a statement last week that the project is supported by the Irish government through investment agency IDA Ireland, which is expected to create 60 new jobs over the next three years.

Triggerfish animated the Oscar-nominated Roald Dahl adaptation Revolting Rhymes and is currently producing their third feature film, Seal Team, and Netflix's first African animated TV series, Mama K's Team 4.

The studio's first two features, Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba, are among the five highest-grossing South African feature films of all time, with nine million cinema tickets sold globally.

This saw Triggerfish named overall Business of the Year in South Africa's Western Cape province in 2015 a first for an animation company.

Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest said, "the company began outsourcing work to Irish animators last year and were quickly won over by both the quality of the work and the dedication to the craft by the animators there."

Studio producer Andy Wonnacott, who will head up the Galway branch has said that the location ticked all the boxes for a European base as it has a similar time zone to South Africa, is very well connected, and offers significant business support.

"For us personally, Ireland is our second home, so it will be good to be back with family and friends," he said.