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From the dopamine hits of likes and subscribes to immediate uploads, infinite scroll and AI-polished perfection delivered in seconds, we are living in an age of instant gratification. Want it now? It’s on the way. Why should we wait?
But one Cape Town entrepreneur wants us all to slow down a little. Hit the camera shutter a little less often and (re)discover the delayed joy of images that can take days or weeks to arrive.
“Everything nowadays, and it’s getting a lot worse with AI, is about instant gratification,” says Mia Anderson. “If you can’t get things right now, if the Wi-Fi is too slow, or if something doesn’t load quickly enough, the frustration you feel is insane. With film, it’s the complete opposite. You take these photos now and you kind of hope for the best that they come out all right.”
Mia Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Ubuntu Film Co., a Cape Town-born camera company bringing reusable 35mm film cameras to a new generation of analogue-curious photographers.
“I’ve always really enjoyed film,” she says. “I think the obsession, I guess you could call it, started when I was in high school. When you have sleepovers with your friends, or you go out to parties, or you go shopping, and you bring this little disposable film camera with you? It’s so fun. You get the photos developed and, honestly, every time you get the photos developed, it feels a bit like Christmas morning. You see photos that you forgot you even took.”
But, a little bit like those piles of Christmas morning wrapping, the waste started to bother her. Disposable cameras offered both convenience and the nostalgic thrill of film, but after 30 or so clicks of the shutter, the whole camera went in the bin. She wanted a better way: the convenience of disposable, at a price more affordable than a proper camera.
The answer was Ubuntu Film Co., which sells pocket-sized film cameras that feel and operate like the popular disposable versions, but with the bonus of being reusable.
Pre-order sales opened in October 2023 and took off, allowing Mia and her co-founder to bootstrap the business.
“That initial demand made me realise, oh wow, there’s definitely a market for cute film cameras that are reusable,” says Anderson.
The cameras themselves are deliberately simple.
Ubuntu Film’s cameras have a simple 28mm lens that’s similar in feel to a disposable camera. A built-in flash illuminates the scene, but works best within about one metre of the camera. There’s no focusing system to fiddle with and no manual settings to master, making them well suited to beginners, teens, wedding guests and anyone who wants the pleasure of film without the technical barrier of vintage cameras.
Because of their simple construction, they work best in bright light: think daytime landscapes, portraits and social scenes. For snapping away in darker rooms or at sunset, the closer you are to the subject the better. But also, the joy of an analogue camera like this is that it doesn’t all have to be perfect. You’re not doing this for likes or Instagram impact, but for a memory to pop up IRL once the film is developed. That means you can lean into the creativity that imperfection offers.
But... what film also offers is a bill.
A roll of film costs between R250 and R300, with development usually adding another R100 or more. That means every frame comes with a price tag, and every click of the shutter is going to set you back about 10 bucks. For anyone raised on digital-first, that is definitely going to feel a bit weird. But that’s also the point. Attaching a price tag to the click of a shutter means you’ll be more intentional about the photos you take.
“Everyone loves to document what they’re doing, whether it’s an event, a wedding, a party, or just hanging out with friends,” says Anderson. “It’s always nice to document what you’re doing in that time. With film, it makes it even better because looking back on those memories feels a lot more special and almost more important. You don’t have 30 photos of the same thing on your phone. You’ve got one photo of that specific moment.”
Ubuntu Film’s cameras are manufactured overseas, because Anderson struggled to find a South African camera manufacturer at the right price point. But the company keeps as much else as possible local, from sticker sheets to accessories. The business remains small and family-run, with Anderson’s younger sister helping to pack orders.
“Ubuntu is obviously very South African,” adds Anderson. “It has a very strong and deep meaning behind it. We didn’t want it to be this shell brand where everything is done elsewhere. It just didn’t feel right. We want to support local wherever we can.”
So who’s it for?
Well, just about anyone, really, and the brand has found a broad audience. Some buyers are drawn to the nostalgia of film. Others love the bright colours and retro appeal. Some order multiple cameras for weddings and events, leaving them on tables for guests to capture the day in a more candid fashion.
I’ve taken mine to Namibia and around the city, and while my Google Photos account has hundreds of images from the last month of travel, I’m only halfway through my roll of Kodak Ultramax loaded into my Ubuntu camera. It’ll come with me on next month’s island holiday, and perhaps then I’ll get around to rewinding the film and sending it off for processing. When those images of Namibia’s far-flung deserts and weekend escapades in the Cape do arrive, they’ll be worth so much more – in money and memory – than the snaps on my phone.
How to buy an Ubuntu Film Co. camera
- The Ubuntu Film Co. camera cost from R975 each, but with large discounts for multiple-camera 'party packs'.
- Film is sold separately, and costs around R270 for a roll of 36 exposures.
- Buy online from https://www.ubuntufilm.co.za
- You can get your film processed at Orms or Cape Film Supply.
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