10 Iconic African Love Stories from the CD and DVD Era

You know that feeling when you stumble on an old Nollywood or Ghallywood film on YouTube and suddenly it's 3 AM and you're crying over a love triangle that involves juju, class warfare, and at least two people pretending to be dead, BlackBerry in hand?

That's "jakusco" energy, the beautifully chaotic,  melodramatic African love stories from the late 90s to the early 2010s that defined a generation, with raw emotional performances that prioritized drama and cultural depth. 

In celebration of that energy, here are 10 iconic pre-2016 love stories from the continent to watch this Valentines: 

1. World Apart (Nigeria, 2004)

Starring: Ini Edo, Kenneth Okonkwo, Liz Benson

A prince falls in love with a peasant woman. Will love conquer class? This is the classic "royal falls for commoner" story that launched Ini Edo into stardom. Kenneth Okonkwo as the undercover prince trying to love a village girl (Ini Edo as Ulli) while his royal family loses their minds? Ci-ne-ma! The Igbo adage "the duck and fowl never mix" gets tested to the max, here!

Jakusco Level: 10/10

2. Yemi My Lover (Nigeria, 1993)

Starring: Yemi Ayebo, Tajudeen Oyewole, Iyabo Momoh

Yemi falls hopelessly in love with a mermaid after meeting her as a child, in this OG supernatural romance. It gave us Bollywood-style songs, a mermaid love interest, of all things, and the kind of devotion that became a slang. To this day, when someone says "Yemi My Lover," they're talking about a man completely smitten by his woman. Even Olamide made a song about it in 2013.

Jakusco Level: 11/10

3. A Million Tears (Nigeria, 2006)

Starring: Emeka Ike, Kate Henshaw, Patrick Doyle

Uche (Emeka Ike), a reckless playboy falls for reserved principled Lola (Kate Henshaw) who's battling leukemia. Together, they fight for love. This film taught us that love can exist even in the face of death.

Jakusco Level: 10/10

4. Keeping Faith (Nigeria, 2002)

Starring: Genevieve Nnaji, Richard Mofe-Damijo

Princewill and Nadine's love is tested by betrayal, secrets, and the question: Can love survive broken trust? This isn't your typical "they fell in love and lived happily ever after." Keeping Faith asked the hard question: What happens when the person you love breaks your heart? Can faith in love be restored? 

Jakusco Level: 9/10 

5. O lè kú (Nigeria, 1997)

Starring: Feyikemi Abdounrin, Tunde Adegbola, Deji Adenuga

Ajani, a final-year University of Ibadan student, finds himself in an "entanglement" with three different women after his mother pressures him to find a wife. Based on Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola's novel and directed by Tunde Kelani, Oleku gave us one of Nollywood's most iconic love squares (not triangle, square!).

Jakusco Level: 8/10

6. Phone Swap (Nigeria, 2012)

Starring: Nse Ikpe-Etim, Wale Ojo

A fashion designer and an arrogant businessman mistakenly switch phones at the airport. Chaos ensues. And suprisingly, romance blooms. Directed by Kunle Afolayan, this was the first cinema-screened Nigerian film to center its plot around mobile phones (Shoutout to Blackberry Babes which came a year earlier). 

Jakusco Level: 7/10 

7.  Unconditional Love (Cameroon, 2014)

Starring: John Dumelo, Sahndra Fon Dufe, Princess Manka Bridget

A father and son fall in love with a mother and daughter. Who will back down? This Cameroonian gem tackles the ultimate taboo: generational love conflicts within the same family. The tension of father vs. son, the ethics of who "deserves" love more, and the sheer audacity of the premise make this film unforgettable. Nice, and dare I say, wawu, indeed!

Jakusco Level: 9/10 

8. Beyoncé: The President's Daughter (Ghana, 2006)

Starring: Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari, Van Vicker

The President's daughter, Beyoncé (Nadia Buari) falls in love, but politics, power, and family expectations complicate everything.

This Ghallywood classic defined a generation! The title alone is iconic. There are millennials walking around today who had fights over whether or not Van Vicker’s character made the right decision. A proper if you know you know blockbuster. 

Jakusco Level: 9/10

9. Critical Decision (Nigeria, 2004)

Starring: Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Linus, Mike Ezuronye, Richard Mofe-Damijo

Love and betrayal choices force characters to make decisions that will change their lives forever in this classic rom-com featuring emerging Nollywood superstars of the time. Critical Decision delivered on all fronts with a plot that kept you guessing and a romance that kept you invested.

Jakusco Level: 8/10

10. Private Sin (Nigeria, 2003)

Starring: Genevieve Nnaji, Olu Jacobs

Our final film on the list is one that requires very little exposition. All we can say is that it will leave you….in awe. This is Olu Jacobs at the height of his powers. Enough said.

Jakusco Level: 9/10 

Written by Sahndra, Editor-in-Chief, Black Film Wire