Phumi Morare

Founder at Zarafa Pictures

Interviewer

Phumi Morare is a South African film producer and strategic advisor bridging the worlds of finance and cinema. She began her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London, specializing in credit risk, and went on to advise global institutions as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Drawing on this foundation, she now applies financial and strategic rigor to the creative industries, with a focus on unlocking capital for African film and creative intellectual property.

As a filmmaker, Phumi’s work has received numerous accolades. She has been shortlisted for an Oscar and is an NAACP Image Award winner. Her films have screened at premier festivals including Telluride, Clermont-Ferrand, and the Atlanta Film Festival, and have been acquired by WarnerMedia and MultiChoice. She has been featured on the cover of the Mail & Guardian, profiled in leading publications, and invited to speak as a keynote at global industry events.

She is the founder of Zarafa Pictures, a creative studio dedicated to developing African stories with global resonance. Phumi is passionate about building new financing pathways for African filmmakers—bridging the gap between creatives and capital—and is committed to developing a globally competitive and sustainable film ecosystem across the continent.