Funding losses and a malfunctioning Treasury rebate system are leaving South African film and TV producers struggling to finance projects.
By Bulelwa Hoala
The South African film and television industry is facing a crisis.
This is due to continued funding losses, while a malfunctioning Treasury rebate system has left producers struggling to finance projects.
Just last week, hundreds of South African film and television workers took to the streets to protest outside Parliament in Cape Town and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) in Pretoria.
The group called on the government to address the growing decline of the industry, which they say has been caused by the DTIC’s alleged mismanagement of the South African Film and Television Production Incentive, meant to support the sector.
In light of this, Kaya Biz reached out to the CEO of Leaders In Motion Media Africa (LIMA), Thato Moraka, who unpacked why South Africa’s film incentives are not working and gave listeners perspective on the complexities of the industry’s legislative environment.
Both Mfuphi and Moraka emphasised that the film and TV industry is a multiplier of jobs and economic activity in South Africa, with Moraka noting that the creative industry as a whole creates more jobs than the mining sector.
According to Moraka, in South Africa there is a big misconception about what the creative sector actually is when compared to global counterparts.
“If you look at markets like Hollywood, they call it showbusiness. And the reason it’s called showbusiness is because there’s a whole business element to it.”
Moraka added that the global creative sector contributes more than $3 trillion to GDP, while Africa remains one of the biggest consumers of creative content, including gaming and other digital spaces.
He also highlighted challenges that have inhibited the growth of the sector, pointing to the misalignment and disintegration between multiple government departments.
“We could have learnt from countries like Australia, because any sector that has ever seen success in any country was always supported by the government,” Moraka said.
Listen to the full discussion with on the latest Kaya Biz podcast below:
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