You've seen the poster. A woman in a crisp white linen shirt, maybe a khaki vest, stands awkwardly next to a rugged man in front of a Land Rover. There is usually an elephant in the background. It’s the Christmas in Africa movie formula, a specific sub-genre of holiday cinema that has become a staple for streamers like Netflix and Hallmark. Honestly, it’s a weirdly specific niche. Why do we keep going back to the savannah when the snow starts falling in the northern hemisphere?
It usually starts with a heartbreak. Or a high-powered job that feels "empty." The protagonist—almost always from New York or London—needs to "find themselves." So, they book a flight to South Africa or Zambia. What follows is a whirlwind of majestic sunsets, surprisingly well-manicured safari lodges, and a romantic interest who understands the "rhythm of the land."
People watch these movies for the escapism. It is pure, unadulterated visual comfort food. But if you look closer, these films represent a fascinating, if sometimes problematic, intersection of Western holiday traditions and African tourism marketing.
The Netflix Effect: Holiday in the Wild and the Safari Romance
When Netflix dropped Holiday in the Wild back in 2019, it basically codified the modern Christmas in Africa movie. Starring Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe, it didn't just lean into the tropes; it built a whole house out of them. Davis plays Kate, a woman whose husband leaves her right before a planned second honeymoon to Zambia. She goes anyway. She ends up at an elephant sanctuary. She falls for the pilot.
It sounds cheesy because it is. But here’s the thing: it was a massive hit.
The film was shot largely on location in South Africa and at an actual elephant orphanage in Zimbabwe. This gave it a level of texture that the usual green-screened holiday movies lack. You can feel the heat. You can hear the cicadas. It wasn't just a romance; it was a 90-minute advertisement for conservation. According to Netflix’s own viewership data from that era, millions of people tuned in not for the plot—which was predictable from the first five minutes—but for the elephants and the vast, golden landscapes.
Why the Setting Actually Matters
Most holiday movies are claustrophobic. They happen in "charming" small towns or crowded city apartments. A Christmas in Africa movie does the opposite. It gives you scale. It replaces the pine tree with a Baobab. Instead of a sleigh, you get a bush plane.
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There is a psychological shift that happens when you swap snow for red dust. For audiences in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s a "sun-drenched Christmas." It taps into a specific desire to flee the cold. It’s also about the "noble" pursuit. These movies almost always involve wildlife conservation or community building. The protagonist isn't just getting a boyfriend; she's "saving the world" in a very curated, cinematic way.
Beyond the Hallmark Aesthetic: Finding Real Stories
If we are being real, the "safari Christmas" isn't the only way Africa shows up in holiday cinema, though it is the most dominant in the West. There is a massive disconnect between the Christmas in Africa movie produced by Hollywood and the way Christmas is actually depicted in African cinema itself.
Take a look at the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. Or the South African film scene. When they make holiday content, it isn't about lions. It’s about the "Homecoming."
In many African cultures, Christmas is the time of the great migration from the cities back to the ancestral villages. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It involves massive family feasts that put Thanksgiving to shame. Movies like A Naija Christmas (another Netflix original, but directed by the late Kunle Afolayan) offer a much more authentic look at the season.
- The Plot: A mother’s frantic desire to see her sons married before Christmas.
- The Conflict: Competition, ego, and the hilarious reality of Nigerian family dynamics.
- The Vibe: High energy, vibrant colors, and zero elephants.
This is the "Christmas in Africa" that actually exists for millions of people. It’s a comedy of errors centered on food and faith. Comparing Holiday in the Wild to A Naija Christmas is like comparing a postcard to a home movie. Both have value, but only one feels lived-in.
The Problem with the "Magical Africa" Trope
We have to talk about the "Dark Continent" baggage. A lot of these Western-produced films treat the continent as a backdrop for white self-discovery. This isn't a new critique. Scholars like Binyavanga Wainaina have famously skewered the way the West writes about Africa—always focusing on the animals, the heat, and the "wise" locals who exist only to give the protagonist advice.
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In a typical Christmas in Africa movie, the local characters often feel like furniture. They are there to cook the food, drive the jeep, or nod sagely while the American lead realizes that "life is about more than money."
It’s a missed opportunity.
When directors actually hire local crew and writers, the texture changes. The dialogue gets sharper. The stakes feel higher. The industry is slowly moving in this direction, but the "safari romance" is a hard habit to break because it sells so well to suburban audiences in Ohio and Kent.
The Logistics of Filming in the Heat
Did you know that most of these "winter" movies are filmed in the blistering South African summer? To make it look like "Christmas," set designers have to work overtime. While the actors are sweating in their safari gear, the crew is trying to create a festive atmosphere that doesn't feel out of place under a 95-degree sun.
South Africa has become a massive hub for these productions. Locations like Cape Town and Johannesburg offer world-class crews and incredible tax incentives. It's often cheaper to fly a whole cast to Durban than it is to film in Los Angeles. This economic reality means the Christmas in Africa movie isn't going anywhere. It’s a profitable business model.
Essential Watchlist: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
If you’re looking to dive into this genre, you need to know what you’re getting into. Not all of these are created equal.
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- A Naija Christmas (2021): This is the gold standard for an authentic vibe. It’s funny, the fashion is incredible, and it actually captures the spirit of Lagos.
- Holiday in the Wild (2019): Watch this if you want to see baby elephants. Don’t watch it for a complex screenplay. It’s the ultimate "turn your brain off" movie.
- Christmas in the Wilds: Not to be confused with the Netflix one. This is more of a survivalist romance. It’s gritty-lite.
- Operation Christmas Drop: While technically set on Guam, it follows the same "Westerner goes to a tropical/remote location for the holidays" blueprint that defines the African safari movies.
Why We Keep Watching
Ultimately, the Christmas in Africa movie succeeds because it offers a "reset."
Christmas in the West has become an endurance sport of consumerism. We deal with mall traffic, freezing rain, and the pressure of the "perfect" gift. When we turn on a movie and see a woman feeding an orphaned rhino in the sun, we are projecting our own desire for a simpler, more meaningful existence.
It’s a fantasy.
We know she isn't going to get malaria. We know she won't run out of clean water. We know that her "struggle" to find herself will be resolved in exactly 88 minutes. There is something deeply soothing about that predictability.
Actionable Steps for the Conscious Viewer
If you're going to indulge in a Christmas in Africa movie marathon this year, here is how to do it better:
- Check the Credits: Look for African names in the director, writer, and producer slots. A movie about Africa told by Africans is always going to have more soul than a "safari-of-the-week" story.
- Research the Locations: Many of these films use real sanctuaries. If you loved the elephants in Holiday in the Wild, look up the Game Rangers International (GRI) in Zambia. They are a real organization doing real work.
- Diversify Your Queue: For every Hallmark safari movie you watch, balance it out with a contemporary African drama or comedy. You’ll get a much wider, more honest view of what the continent looks like in the 21st century.
- Support Local Cinema: Stream movies from platforms like Showmax or look for African titles on Netflix’s global "African Stories" hub.
The "safari" version of Christmas is a beautiful dream, but the reality of the continent's cinema is far more interesting, diverse, and vibrant than a khaki-clad romance could ever convey. Enjoy the sunsets, but don't forget to look for the people.