In a bid to reignite the interest of foreign film-makers in shooting their films in South Africa, the Department of Trade and Industry revised its incentives in 2018, but it is still capped at R50-million, says the writer.
There are already an estimated 25,000 people working in the SA film and video industry and more content is consumed in the country than anywhere else in Africa. South Africa is also the leader in film production, satellite distribution and interactive content. So what lies beyond South Africa’s seeming inability to take its capability and content and distribute it more widely?
Foreign filmmakers have been taking advantage of South Africa’s diverse, unique locations — as well as lower production costs compared with the US and Europe — for years.
The country also has a reputation for having quality film production crews, which have been involved in a string of successful big-budget showcases such as Fury Road, the fourth Mad Max film; Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio and The Lord of War, the 2005 movie starring Nicholas Cage, as well as the Marvel — Avengers.
For foreign filmmakers, the benefits of such co-productions are evident, and the upside obvious for the country in the direct investment of millions of rand into the economy.
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