By: Natasha Archary

Just two years after entering voluntary business rescue, Ster Kinekor will be shutting down 9 cinemas and dismissing over 200 workers.
The movie house will be laying off 236 employees and closing down operations in parts of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natala and the Western Cape.
This comes following the business suffering immense loss during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which has not been easy to recover.
Operating under various restrictions, including curfews, the impact meant the group had been trading at a loss and continued to incur costs.
Cost of movie tickets stop people from going to the cinema
In 2023, a number of Kaya 959 listeners shared that they no longer go to cinemas to watch movies because it costs too much.
During a discussion on Kaya Drive at the time, listeners shared that movie ticket prices aside, the cost of snacks at a cinema discourages a lot of cash-strapped people from going to the movie for a date night or even as a family outing.
Cost of a 3D movie and snacks for 1 adult and 1 child:
- 2x full price 3D movie tickets + 3D glasses = R312.80 (R139.90 + R16.50 each including the glasses)
- 2x large popcorn + 2x large slush/soda + 2x sweets = R210
That’s a total of R522.80 for two people to watch a movie with snacks and drinks. In 2023 this cost R410.
Cost of a 3D movie and snacks for family of four:
- 4x full price 3D movie tickets + 3D glasses = R625
- 2x large popcorn + 2x large slush/soda + 2x sweets – R420
That’s a total of R1045 for a family of 4. In 2023 this cost R825.
Ster Kinekor will be closing these 9 cinemas:
- Bayside (WC)
- Boardwalk (KZN)
- Mimosa (KZN)
- Shelly Beach (KZN)
- Cedar Square (GP)
- Maponya (GP)
- Matlosana (GP)
- Southgate (GP)
- Sterland (GP)



