10 Romantic African Films To Watch This Valentine's Weekend

Romantic love is one of the most common premises in African films. It is often woven into most films, even when it’s not the central theme. In the spirit of Valentine’s, we’ve compiled 10 romantic African films, including Showmax’s newly-released trio of romance films, a classic Romeo-and-Juliet retelling, and several popular and well-received films in recent years.

‘Not My Type’ (2025)

Lorraine Moropa and Lulama Nyembezi co-star in Not My Type, a relatable fare that shows how unpredictable the search for love can be. Letsatsi (Moropa) is a wedding dress designer committed to her Christian faith who hopes to fall in love with a guy who matches her values. A proposal close to her triggers desperation, and her vision for life is upended. She has options and must choose between passion and familiar ideals.

Where to watch: Showmax

‘Soos Pynappel Op Pizza’ (2025)

What happens when two people who equally dislike each other end up at a singles retreat? In Soos Pynappel Op Pizza, Waldo (Schalk Bezuidenhout) and Becca (Kate Pinchuck), both chefs, navigate one crazy scenario after another throughout the retreat, forcing them to reexamine their perspectives on love. Directed by Morné Strydom, the romantic comedy packs charm, wit and quirkiness into a breezy experience.

Where to watch: Showmax

‘Gebokste Liefde’ (2025)

Annelize Frost makes her feature film directorial debut with Gebokste Liefde, a heartwarming romantic comedy following Suma-Lee (Tarryn Wyngaard), a divorced single mom fighting her autonomy to love. Fired from her job as a fashion designer, and with her ex getting remarried, Suma-Lee reluctantly joins a boxing gym where she sheds off baggage from the past to move forward and develops a bond with her coach, Clive (Jandre Le Roux).

Where to watch: Showmax

‘Atlantics’ (2019)

Mati Diop's feature-length debut may be a ghost love story, but it is certainly one for the ages. Ada (Mame Bineta Sane) and Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré) are a young Senegalese couple separated when he decides to make the crossing by boat to Europe in search of a better life. He does not survive the trip. Ada is betrothed to another man in Souleiman's absence, but she is hardly able to function, haunted by her true love's ghost. A near masterpiece, Atlantics is a shapeshifting supernatural romance with plenty to say.

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Isoken’ (2017)

Nearing a decade of its release, Jade Osiberu's Isoken continues to charm both first-time and repeat viewers. It stars Dakore Akande as a high-flying thirty-something who continues to disappoint her anxious mother because she has not brought home a husband. From having zero prospects in the dating department, Isoken is suddenly forced to choose between two seemingly perfect suitors, one of them Caucasian. What's a girl to do?

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Love Brewed in the African Pot’ (1980)

This interpretation of the timeless Romeo and Juliet story directed by Kwaw Ansah has come to be widely regarded as a classic of African cinema. Set in Ghana during the colonial period, Aba (Anima Misa), a woman born to a family of privileged settlers, falls in love with Joe (Reginald Tsiboe), a mechanic and son of a fisherman. Aba’s father, a retired civil servant and influential figure in his own right, is having none of it, having arranged his plans for his daughter's future. This conflict leads to tragic consequences.

Where to watch: YouTube

‘Rafiki’ (2018)

Banned upon release in director Wanuri Kahiu’s native Kenya – never mind that it was the country's first film to compete at the Cannes Film Festival – Rafiki holds up as a convincing tale of sexual awakening between two Kenyan young adults who both happen to be female. The rebelliousness of Rafiki is understated, lying in Kahiu's ability to adopt bold colors, vibrant soundtrack, and a dash of realism to detail explicitly the challenges and dangers that the young lovers must navigate in the conservative environment in which they exist.

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Inxeba’/‘The Wound’ (2017)

This heartbreaking account of illicit romance directed by John Trengove among other qualities, boasts a waterfall scene that ranks as one of the most romantic moments in African cinema in the last decade. Xolani (Nakhane) and Vija (Bongani Mantsai) are two men who meet up in the mountains for a couple of days every year to rekindle their forbidden relationship while working as trainers to young Xhosa boys on the brink of manhood. The Wound remains a potent exploration of the role that cultural practices play in advancing homophobia and toxic masculinity. But for this Valentine's weekend, stay for the explosive love story at the center of the film.

Where to watch: Prime Video

‘Catching Feelings’ (2017)

From the team that would go on to bring you the short-lived Netflix original series, Queen Sono, Catching Feelings is a deceptively lightweight romantic drama starring Pearl Thusi, Kagiso Lediga and Akin Omotoso. Amid growing tensions in their marriage (money, sex, etc), a Johannesburg professor and his journalist wife have their lives further complicated when a fun-loving older writer moves into their home. Beneath the stormy passions, the genuinely delightful Catching Feelings finds ways to comment on racial dynamics in post-apartheid South Africa.

Where to watch: Netflix

‘Namaste Wahala’ (2021)

When Nollywood meets Bollywood, expect sparks to fly. Netflix's big play for the romantic season comes in the form of Namaste Wahala, the streamer's latest original Nigerian acquisition. Loosely translated as hello trouble, expect the film directed by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja in her debut attempt, to come loaded with plenty of it. The trailer promises romance, drama, wedding bells, dollops of color and yes Bollywood style musical numbers. Are you sold yet?

Where to watch: Netflix