South African film industry takes to the streets

South African actors protested outside parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday along with other members of the local film and television industry who say funding losses are threatening movie-making in the country.

Holding placards and wearing shirts that say “Save SA film & TV” and “Save our industry”, about 300-400 people attended the demonstration, with another one planned in Pretoria on Thursday. 

South Africa has one of Africa’s most established film and television industries and has long attracted foreign productions.

“We’re here today because government has largely ignored the film and television sector,” said Unathi Malunga, an entertainment lawyer and former CEO of the South African Screen Federation. 

“That has led to a loss of jobs, that has led to business going to other countries, and we are losing out on work as South Africans,” she told Reuters. 

At the core of the complaints is a rebate system called the South African Film and Television Production Incentive, run by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, which aims to support the local film industry by helping to cover production expenditure for projects that meet certain criteria.

A coalition of industry groups said in a memorandum delivered to parliament on Wednesday that meetings to approve projects for rebates had halted, bringing the industry to a standstill, and demanded they resume.

They also demanded an investigation into allegations of “mismanagement, maladministration, and governance failures” within the incentive programme, which they did not elaborate on.

A DTIC spokesperson declined to comment but said the department would respond directly to the coalition within their stated time frame of 10 days.

Industry members held a protest about the same issue last year, but said their concerns were not addressed.

“We’re not getting funding,” said Melanie Du Bois, who has acted in South African soap operas and in the popular Showmax drama series “Spinners”.

“We want the government to be aware and be held accountable, so that the film industry can once again grow to what it’s been and what it should be.”

• Reporting by Esa Alexander; Writing by Nellie Peyton.