“We are real players” says Zoe Ramushu on building African film tech for the global industry

Cape Town filmmaker and tech founder Zoe Ramushu. Image supplied

Fresh off her third consecutive shortlist nomination at the Global Production Awards during the Cannes Film Festival, Ramushu is building something much bigger than representation alone.

Through her platform, Wrapped, she is rethinking how the global film industry hires crew, discovers talent and builds inclusive production ecosystems.

What began as frustration on a Netflix production has evolved into an African production technology platform, a solution that sits at the intersection of film, labour systems and technology infrastructure.

Now shortlisted for the Impact Leadership Award at the 2026 Global Production Awards, Ramushu says the recognition confirms Wrapped’s place on the global stage.

“When I found out, I was at the office working,” she says. “My immediate reaction was just this warm glow in my chest, and then I continued working.”

“Getting nominated three times in a row is a huge honour. To be recognised alongside studios like Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures tells me Wrapped is the girl she thinks she is. We are delivering a global solution that currently nobody else is.”

For Ramushu, the significance of Cannes extends far beyond visibility.

“Cannes is where the real players connect for business. Wrapped being at the Global Production Awards and the Producers Network three years in a row shows we’re a real player — and means we get to stay.”

From a Netflix set to a global platform

The idea for Wrapped emerged during Ramushu’s first Netflix production while trying to hire more inclusively across departments.

“I said to my line producer, ‘We need at least one female in each department,’ and there was silence in the room,” she recalls.

What followed exposed a deeply fragmented hiring system reliant on word-of-mouth recommendations, personal networks and institutional memory.

“One guy literally said, ‘I once worked with a girl in sound. Let me call someone who might know her.’ It sounded like he was searching for a unicorn.”

Although the production eventually succeeded in hiring women across all departments, Ramushu says the process revealed a systemic problem.

“It already costs more — in time, money and effort — to hire inclusively. That was a no for me.”

Wrapped was designed to solve that issue by centralising talent discovery and production hiring into a single platform.

“This is LinkedIn meets Upwork, but for the film industry. And it was built here.”

Since launching, Wrapped has seen rapid uptake, attracting more than 600 users within its first days with minimal marketing.

“That immediately showed the demand for a centralised place where people can connect and be seen.”

Zoe Ramushu in Cannes. Image supplied

Africa’s place in the global creative economy

As Africa Month places renewed focus on the continent’s creative industries, Ramushu believes African innovation is no longer waiting for permission.

“If it’s good tech, it’s good tech. If it’s a good product, it’s a good product,” she says.

“I don’t see Wrapped as an African platform. It is built by Africans, yes, but it is a global platform.”

She points to the growing international appetite for African creativity across music, film and fashion as proof of a much larger shift already underway.

“Our sound, our look, our vibe — it’s what people want. It sells.”

Referencing artists and filmmakers from Miriam Makeba and Fela Kuti to Burna Boy and Tyla, Ramushu says African cultural influence has been building for decades.

“Africa is out. Either way you’re going to get wet. So if you’re a smart investor, you’ll get in early, at the source.”

Building infrastructure, not just conversations

While diversity and inclusion conversations continue globally, Ramushu argues that real transformation only happens when systems themselves change.

“Talk isn’t the problem. It’s when talk is the only thing.”

Before founding Wrapped, Ramushu co-founded Swift, an organisation advocating for women in film. But over time, she realised advocacy alone could not solve structural inefficiencies embedded in production hiring.

“Wrapped is the building. It’s the infrastructure that moves the conversation from theory into reality.”

She believes African creators must also play a direct role in shaping future technologies rather than simply adapting to systems built elsewhere.

“When cameras were originally developed, they were tested against white skin. Even today, you still set up a camera using ‘white balance’.”

“We need to be the builders and architects of our own solutions, not just consumers.”

A more sustainable future for African film

For Ramushu, the future of Africa’s film industry depends not only on visibility but also on sustainability.

“The lack of money in the industry makes me angry,” she says candidly.

She points to freelancers and veteran industry professionals who spend decades contributing to film and television, only to face financial insecurity later in life.

“A lot of filmmakers and crew members die without pensions, without medical aid, without proper support.”

Still, despite the industry pressures, Ramushu says she senses a shift happening across African film ecosystems.

“People have hope. You can feel it in the air.”

She believes collaboration, infrastructure and technology platforms like Wrapped will become increasingly important in connecting fragmented creative networks across the continent.

“This industry has realised how much people need each other,” she says.

“Wrapped is one of those tools bringing people together, connecting people who weren’t connected before and allowing the industry to build itself.”