Alfonso Franke, who served as a Springbok Impi warrior for nearly ten years, is now starting a new chapter in his career by becoming a co-director of the film company Muti Films.
Franke first gained attention among South Africans as one of the Impi warriors for the Springboks team, famous for confronting the All Blacks before series matches. After almost a decade since his debut in the Impi, Franke joined the production company Muti Films in Cape Town as a co-director.
He took on leadership of this studio alongside Muti founder Guto Bussab, while continuing to perform as an Impi at home Springboks matches.
From Confronting the All Blacks to Working Behind the Camera
Franke's debut as an Impi was in 2017 during a series match against New Zealand. At that time, he was tasked with looking fierce and intimidating towards the then All Blacks captain, Kieran Read. Videos of this confrontation went viral.
Franke recalls that the All Blacks captain stated he had never seen anything like it, and the coach noted that he wished half of his team possessed such a level of passion. The Impi performance is based on a tradition dating back to 1921, when the Springboks responded to the All Blacks haka with a Zulu indlamu dance in Wellington.
Today, the Impi bring the Springboks team, a two-time world champion, onto the field before home matches, accompanied by drums, chants, and raised spears. In his thirties, Franke is the only member of the original trio who continues to perform. He emphasizes that it is 'more than just a performance' and 'more than five minutes of glory'; he goes out 'fighting for his country.'
By transitioning from confronting the All Blacks to working behind the camera, Alfonso Franke has brought his unique creative perspective to Muti Films.
A Filmmaker Shaped by Mitchells Plain
Outside of rugby, Franke built a career in film. Growing up in Mitchells Plain, his creative talent was first noticed by school teachers. Later, he received film training at AFDA, and subsequently founded the independent production company Tarblak Films.
In 2023, he received the 'Best Cinematography' award in the short film category at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival Awards for the film Die Blokke. Among his works are YVR by Youngsta CPT, which won 'Best Video' at the SA Hip Hop Awards 2019, as well as music videos for Hezron Chetty and Nomisupasta. Franke's recent work at the Encounters Film Festival includes the film Amigo the Griot. He has also shot artists such as Koffee, Wu-Tang Clan, Youngsta CPT, Nasty C, and Shane Eagle.
Franke remains an active participant in the Cape Flats creative community and plans to establish a Little Warriors Foundation to support children struggling with health issues and poverty. He believes that his upbringing in Mitchells Plain shaped him as a warrior in life.
Franke asserts that his background continues to influence his approach to filmmaking. He says: 'In the townships you don't get resources, you get reality. So you learn to transform it. You learn to create something from nothing. To find a way where there isn't one.' He describes this as 'bringing the neighbour's perspective'—the viewpoint of people who are 'always looked past, not at.'
He notes that his experience taught him to turn ordinary spaces into cinematic worlds: 'I know how to turn a stoep, kitchen, alleyway into a world, because for us, that was the world. That is what I bring to Muti. Not just creativity. Alchemy.'
A Long-Term Creative Partnership
Franke's collaboration with Muti spans over ten years, beginning when he worked at the company as Bussab's assistant. Since then, they have worked together as a directorial team, including shooting the music video for Ghanaian rapper M.anifest's Cupid's Crooked Bow in Accra.
Bussab stated that Franke became an integral part of his creative process. He noted: 'It was obvious that his contribution was necessary in my own creative process. Alfonso and I collaborate seamlessly, always pushing each other toward creative perfection. Muti has always been an evolving structure, striving to push boundaries and create thought-provoking content. Our next chapters will continue this ethos.'
In his tenth year leading the Boks team on the field, the award-winning cinematographer moves alongside founder Guto Bussab at the Cape Town production company.
The Next Chapter for Muti
Bussab founded Muti in 1998 after starting his career in Brazilian advertising and moving to South Africa in 1994. Working as an art director at Leo Burnett, he won awards at the Cannes Film Festival, New York Festivals, London Awards, and Loeries before moving into film.
Since then, Muti has produced commercials, films, and branded content for companies such as MTN, British Airways, Coca-Cola, Western Union, Standard Bank, Absa, Sasfin Bank, and Richfield. The company also created the web series GAZE and served as a co-producer on Ralph Zimmerman's feature film Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, which was South Africa's official submission for the 2009 Academy Awards.
Bussab directed Muti films for the World Design Capital 2014 program in Cape Town and was part of the team that brought this title to the city. Together, Bussab and Franke possess over 50 years of experience, and their works have been produced in Ghana, Guinea, Uganda, and Eswatini.
Ovami Twala is responsible for photography and social media, and Alex Rey Burton Bussab serves as the AI specialist and studio researcher. For Franke, the next chapter will involve balancing between working behind the camera and his role on the field as a Springbok Impi. His focus remains on storytelling through a distinctly South African lens.