by Thinus Ferreira
South Africa's National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has commissioned Andani Africa to do an impact assessment survey to determine the economic contribution that South Africa's film and TV industry is making to the country.
The survey is open to production companies, broadcasters, distributors, film facilities, freelancers, animators, and service providers, for instance make-up artists, across all nine provinces of South Africa who can complete the online survey.
Although struggling immensely, South Africa's film and TV sector currently generates between R2.50 to R5.65 as a return on the investment for every R1 spend within the sector which remains an engine for employment.
South Africa's TV and film industry remains furious and animated and organised with collective action over the collapse of the South African government's film rebate system.
The department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC) remains mired in incentive scheme paralysis for over three years and counting and has not held any adjudication meetings to approve rebates since late 2023.
This has created a massive backlog of unapproved projects and unpaid dues to producers, exceeding R660 million that was promised but not paid.
The DTIC's collapse and the government's silence to the industry has directly led to a loss of investor confidence in South Africa's film sector and because of these delays, international productions have moved to competing countries, causing the sector to shrink by an estimated 50% since its 2022 peak.
Unilateral changes by the DTIC now require producers to cover all costs upfront, creating a major financial barrier for smaller or emerging filmmakers.
The NFVF's Andani Africa survey can be found and completed here online.
