by Thinus Ferreira
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) on Monday afternoon cancelled 2020's upcoming 14th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) that would have taken place on 27 and 28 March at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The 2-day awards show would have seen thousands of people congregate at the glitzy prize-giving ceremony that moved back to Johannesburg after a stint at Sun City for the past few years.
"In light of the announcement made by president Cyril Ramaphosa and the government's strict actions in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, the NFVF would like to inform that the 14th South African Film and Television Awards will no longer take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 27 and 28 March 2020".
The NFVF said further details would be communicated in due course.
South Africa's film and TV industry is starting to grapple with big logistical questions around how to contain and minimise the rapid spread of the virus that is set to have a big detrimental impact on the local industry.
The South African public broadcaster has several local weekday soaps filming daily episodes for its SABC1 and SABC3 channels, with the same happening for e.tv, as well as MultiChoice's M-Net that has several big ensemble casts in shows for Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and kykNET (DStv 144) with M-Net (DStv 101) that will very likely have to postpone the filming of its upcoming 8th Survivor SA: Immunity Island season that was set to broadcast in September.
