27 January, 2017 - 08:15
South Africa is home to a vibrant production industry, with work ranging from commercials to television series to films being shot year round. What are the advantages of being a production house that operates in South Africa, and what are the challenges? From world class locations to fierce local competition, those in the know share their thoughts. By Adam Wakefield
The advantages of Africa in a globalised world
South Africa is known to be a diverse country, home to many different cultural groups, and according to Colin Howard, executive producer and managing director at Egg & Arcade, this is advantageous when they seek to tap the local talent pool. Beyond that, Africa's growing importance to brands sees South Africa as a natural jump-off point for those looking for a freshness only Africa can provide.
There's a lot of excitement about Africa at the moment, which we're definitely benefiting from. Original Is Never Finished, Terence Neale's new global campaign for Adidas Originals and Johannes Leonardo, is a good example, Howard says. It's not specifically styled as African, but shooting here helped make it feel fresh. People are keen to be here even apart from the cost, so the exchange rate making it so affordable does give us an extra edge and the ability to produce exciting and inspirational work.
The Rand's ups and downs may be the bane of many a businessman, but echoing Howard's point, Megan Dean, head of research and marketing at Velocity Films, says in addition to the favourable exchange rate, South Africa is blessed with world class locations to shoot at.
South Africa is also equipped with a small yet committed and highly specialised film community, which allows local talent to compete and grow at an international level.
Opportunities are attributable to our geographic location and economic health - believe it or not - and realised through work and the experience gained, Dean says.
Furthermore, with the focus internationally on the emerging markets, uniquely African stories are finally being told. South Africa and the broader African market is an exciting area as we are able to contribute to voices that are being heard for the first time.
Beccy Kellond, marketing manager at Moonlighting Commercials, notes that many other territories around the world have entered the competitive production landscape over the years, but South Africa continues to be a top production destination.
We're in the southern hemisphere, so we have the opposite seasons and climate to most of Europe and North America. Clients come to shoot their spring and summer campaigns here in their winter and our spring and summer, Kellond says.
Mirroring Dean's point, Kellond says the huge range of locations available in South Africa, all within a two-hour radius of a major city, that can replicate any location around the world, are a big plus for local production houses.
With advantages, there are always disadvantages
Even though South Africa's production industry has many advantages, inevitably there are challenges that need to be overcome. One such challenge, in Howard's view, is the debilitating effect of red tape, even though strides are being made to address the problem with local authorities.
We're still struggling with the S11.2 work permit requirements when agencies want to shoot their work in SA. To their credit, Home Affairs has been listening to the film industry and the situation improved dramatically when they instituted the visa exemption for oversight personnel in film, Howard says.
But foreign talent and crew all still need work visas, which is chasing away some lucrative foreign commercials that are often finalised on a couple of days' notice, or that celebrity talent or directors are not available to apply in person at the embassy.
Howard believes there would be even more work reaching South Africa's shores if foreign crews and casts working on foreign commercials - and not being paid in South Africa - could apply without going to the embassy in person and leaving their passport at the embassy.
Dean points to the limited amount of work that is winnable locally as one particular challenge. Production houses have to be on top of their game to compete, and have years of experience on their books.
Importantly, the nature of film production is in constant flux as a result of the rapid advancements in technology, and this is affecting consumption patterns consequently, Dean says.
It is critical to think ahead, evolve with the industry, and take the needs of our clients and the behaviour of their audience in to account.
Necessity is the mother of invention and creativity
Dean, Kellond and Howard agree that among all the industry has to offer, there is a tremendous amount of creativity to be tapped locally.
There is a wealth of untapped creativity in Africa that is only starting to gain exposure. It's unlike anything else in the world, and people are responding to it, both locally and internationally, Howard says.
Kellond notes that many international visitors have shot in South Africa, and know that the infrastructure is world class.
Dean points out that while developing economies have plenty of challenges, it is these exact same challenges that inspire new ways of thinking and that can serve as motivation for those involved in the industry.
The opportunities here far outweigh the threats, she says.
www.mediaupdate.co.za
Film Finance
Africa South Africa
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
08/12/2025
DENVER MediaKind, a global provider of cloud-based video streaming technology announced today that it is acquiring the video business of Harmonic Inc. for appro...
08/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsen has announced that its Audience Segments from Nielsen Marketing Cloud (NMC) are now available across the Amazon Ads marketplace, including the ...
08/12/2025
Marshall Electronics showcases the CV355-27X-ND3 Optical Zoom NDI (NDI HX2, NDI HX3) Camera at ISE 2026 (Booth 4N900). Designed for users seeking high-quality ...
08/12/2025
Cinnafilm today announced the immediate availability of IPx LIVE and Tachyon LIVE, delivering broadcast-grade, real-time IP video transcoding and motion-compens...
08/12/2025
Following a successful 45th anniversary year in 2024, Hiltron reports increasing demand for its wide range of satellite communication equipment manufacturing, p...
08/12/2025
Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh is the first celebrity to be revealed for the s...
08/12/2025
Changing children's lives for good: A staggering 4.6 million raised in the 2025 appeal
The people of Ireland and people all over the world have once again...
08/12/2025
It's murder on the dancefloor as The Traitors Ireland legend Paudie Moloney ...
06/12/2025
In a live broadcast from the Reagan National Defense Forum, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Ku...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK In an most important update to the workings of deal-based programmatic advertising, IAB Tech Lab has released version 1.0 of its Deals API for public c...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Pass the turkey. Pass the stuffing. Pass the cranberry sauce. All are common requests of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and f...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Netflix announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T's $1.02 billion acquisition of spectrum from UScellular in a decision that was issued sho...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the First Look for Land of Sin' - Premier...
05/12/2025
Introducing New Perks to Help You Get Even More from LinkedIn Premium Published on Dec 5, 2025 Categories: Company News, Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Co...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Don Lee, Lee Jin-uk, and Lalisa Manobal to Star in Netflix Act...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ProximaVision's Claudio Lisman on Why Tethered Drones Could Be...
04/12/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Imry Halevi, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Co...
27 January, 2017 - 08:15 
