DEVELOPMENT of the animation industry at a sophisticated level can offer opportunities for Zimbabwe to enhance and edify artistic products. The industry can also create employment opportunities for the youth in the arts sector.

A visit to China's National Animation Industrial Park, located in Tianjin Binhai Province, south of China's capital, Beijing, revealed that Zimbabwe can benefit from training of artists to pursue animation.

Speaking after touring the centre, Deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Lazarus Dokora said Zimbabwe needed to work with the Chinese government to tap into their expertise.

"There is a lot that we can derive from the use of animation, not only in the arts sector, but also in the content development of early childhood development material and in e-learning," he said.

"It can also help us domesticate the use of information communication technology and open up new ideas to improve our education and arts products."

The animation industry with originalities as its core, is a production and operation industry with cartoons and caricatures as the form of expression.

It has a number of advantages that include high cultural content, high technology and has been described world over as the "new emerging sunrise industry".

Sadly for Zimbabwe and probably other countries in Southern Africa, the animation industry has not been exploited.