On Wednesday, actors and members of the South African film and television community gathered outside Parliament in Cape Town to protest funding cuts they claim are jeopardising the nation’s filmmaking industry. Dressed in shirts proclaiming “Save SA Film & TV” and “Save Our Industry”, approximately 300 to 400 individuals participated in the demonstration, with another protest scheduled for Pretoria on Thursday. South Africa boasts one of the most developed film and television sectors in Africa and has historically been a magnet for international productions.
Unathi Malunga, an entertainment lawyer and former CEO of the South African Screen Federation, expressed the protesters’ frustration. “We are here today because the government has largely overlooked the film and television sector,” she stated. “As a result, we are seeing job losses, companies relocating abroad, and South Africans missing out on work opportunities,” she explained to Reuters.
Central to the protests is the South African Film and Television Production Incentive—managed by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC)—which is designed to facilitate local film initiatives by subsidising production costs for qualifying projects.
A coalition of industry bodies presented a memorandum to parliament, asserting that the approval process for project rebates has ground to a halt, effectively putting the industry in a standstill. They are demanding the resumption of these approvals and an investigation into allegations concerning “mismanagement, maladministration, and governance failures” associated with the incentive program, although they did not provide details.
While a spokesperson for the DTIC refrained from commenting, they assured that the department would respond to the coalition within 10 days.
This isn’t the first time industry members have voiced their concerns; they held a similar protest last year but reported that their issues remain unaddressed. Melanie Du Bois, a notable actress who has appeared in various South African soap operas and the popular Showmax drama series “Spinners,” shared, “We’re not receiving the funding we need. We want our government to acknowledge this situation and be held accountable so the film industry can thrive once again.”
