National Geographic is turning its lens towards Africa with Africa Earth’s Wild Home, a seven-part natural history series that explores the continent’s wildlife, landscapes and people in a new multi-year documentary franchise.
Image used for illutrative purposes/By: Buena Vista Images/Getty Images
The series, which took almost four years to make, was filmed across nearly 30 African countries. It is the first installment in a planned franchise that will explore the planet one continent at a time, according to Variety.
Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit for National Geographic, the series brings together National Geographic, the National Geographic Society and Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative.
Beyond Africa’s famous wildlife
While lions, elephants and other familiar species feature in the series, the filmmakers wanted to look beyond the animals most commonly associated with Africa.
Crews travelled across deserts, forests, jungles, mountains and islands to explore how different environments shape the animals that live in them.
The series also draws on the knowledge of African wildlife guides, drivers, photographers and local communities, who helped filmmakers identify unusual animal behaviours and lesser-known stories.
Among the most unusual footage are sequences of dwarf crocodiles hunting bats in dark caves, black rain frogs, beetles harvesting water from coastal fog and giant land tortoises hunting birds.
The series also captures golden wolves hunting pelicans and a male fossa competing for access to a female’s mating tree.
Filmed across a changing continent
New filming technology and CGI are used to explore not only Africa’s wildlife, but also the geological and environmental forces that have shaped its landscapes.
The seven episodes move through environments including deserts, plains, islands, jungles and extreme landscapes.
The final episode shifts its focus towards Africa’s conservationists, scientists, photographers and community initiatives, highlighting the people working to protect the continent’s wildlife and wild places.
Academy Award nominee Wunmi Mosaku narrates and executive produces the series.
When to watch Africa Earth’s Wild Home
Africa Earth’s Wild Home premieres on National Geographic on 2 October 2026, with streaming on Disney+ and Hulu from 3 October. In South Africa, National Geographic is also scheduled to air the series from 3 October, with episodes continuing on 4 October.
The series is the first chapter in National Geographic’s planned multi-year exploration of Earth’s wild places, with Africa setting the stage for continents to come.
Source: Variety
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