
Rafiq Samsodien
-- --
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Pinterest
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: On Monday, 29 January 2018, the world of film changed forever with the release of Black Panther, which played its part in making the inevitable happen. Hollywood will never be the same again. And neither will film on our continent.
The global box-office blockbuster that Black Panther became within just the next 30 days is almost as unreal as the idea of a black superhero emanating from Africa. In week five of its release, the South African box-office record of R101 million ($8.5 million) was eclipsed, out of a global $1.4 billion in revenue.
-- --
We remain a small, yet vital support actor. But the planet has a new script and Africa is the source for a plethora of storylines.
Ironically, the film industry of South Africa, despite its 123-year history, still finds itself in a malady of fractured inefficiency where a tiny few rule the flow of capital, the means of production and the resultant imagery of reality. This is a reflection of the broader South African context whether in culture or commerce.
But the Black Panther phenomenon heralds an African dawn of both hope and black excellence, and the real chance for South Africa to lose its historical shackles in the form of the current industry leadership over the next decade.
What is needed to reverse our falling share price is an approach that asks: What box? . What is needed is an approach that transcends the so-called box entirely. The responsibility rests with black people in the film industry to rise to the occasion of a new horizon across the pond, far beyond the existing, ego-battling turf. The time for such courageous hearts and minds is now.
In a reimagined entertainment and media value-chain the god-like warrior that is Shaka Zulu resonates across ages alongside the unorthodox golfing genius that is Papwa Sewgolum, in the South African pantheon of greats. By taking control of these narratives we are able to rewrite the social and economic injustices of the past through the stories that were never told through our lens. By controlling the narratives and telling our own stories, we are celebrating the African story and immortalising our own Black Panthers'. In this way, we can draw a parallel between the Black Panther' and these icons. They are our superheroes, our living legends, so let us tell that story.
Transformation, skills development and sustainable job creation are the key drivers of South Africa's National Development Plan 2030 (NDP2030) and are the local benchmarks for ensuring a globally competitive country in the global space. In the spirit of this vision for 2030, our traditional competence as the service provider to the developed world's film needs a complete reinvention to reposition our value proposition. The South African film industry must realise its true potential to that of a fully integrated 360 degree participant in the global space - from story to script to film.
Thanks to the Black Panther phenomenon, there is a new narrative unlocking new markets and creating opportunities for everyone to benefit from, empowering the youth and building verticals to drive growth to a real film economy. There is an urgent need for us to focus on the size of the South African share of the global film economy and where we should be over the next five years.
According to the 2017 industry report by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the South African film industry generates R12 billion. With a re-imagined industry the projections are that this could be quadrupled in revenue value.
The disparity between the emerging and established filmmaker remains unresolved, which has always left a huge gap for growth in the middle. But very little has been done to bridge this divide and many generally choose to sit back and wait for someone to champion the cause. A few gallantly take up the challenge. But the perception of policy and provincial borders is the general argument for the barriers for this exponential growth to succeed. With a cautious and conservative approach over time, we will lose even more momentum while other markets are more bullish in their approach.
The time for change is now. We need to adopt a more collaborative spirit to drive opportunities into realities so that big and small operators can all thrive. Our advantage is market access to 1.2 billion people on the continent. The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival is a validation of our commitment to ensuring we build an excellent platform for people to develop the necessary skills and knowledge capital to work and thrive across borders.
This event focuses on the critical value chain of the film industry; the drivers who provide an invaluable transport service to visiting and local talent and crews, the carpenters, set builders and painters, some of the world's most experienced technical crew, and even the local clothing industry, with more than 200 000 textile workers who can produce awe-inspiring costumes to scale. Then there is the incredible talent in our midst - filmmakers, actors, scriptwriters - an untapped source of home-grown talent ready to be discovered.
We currently find ourselves in a time and place that is plagued with cultural ignorance, intolerance and high rates of unemployment. Big business and the government are scrambling for solutions when the spotlight has been shining on it for years.
Let Africans write the scripts that will tell stories that will challenge these intolerances and also create thousands of jobs - one pixel at a time.
Written by Rafiq Samsodien, executive chairman, Cape Town International Film Market & Festival
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Pinterest
-- --
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
14/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/02/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Helps Peter and Leonardo Dugan Complete Their Dre...
13/02/2026
Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has provided an update on its adoption of the cloud as it continues on its journey to fully migrate to IT-based systems by 2...
13/02/2026
France T l visions has successfully launched France 2 UHD featuring Dolby Vision...
13/02/2026
Partnering with Worldwide Olympic Partner TCL, OBS deploys connected Athlete Mom...
13/02/2026
The men's figure skating long-form program is tonight, and it promises to be an exciting night for fans in the stands, fans at home, and even the production...
13/02/2026
With new partnership between the league and NBC, workflows distinguish more between live, broadcast sound
There'll be a lot new for the 75th NBA All-Star W...
13/02/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level have one major thing in common: the intensity and attention to detail ramps up dur...
13/02/2026
Teradek announces the launch of RF-X Auto Switcher, a revolutionary appliance designed to deliver flawless, uncompromised signal integrity for the world's m...
13/02/2026
Globecast and Synamedia announces that Pitch International (Pitch), the leading London-based sports marketing agency, has gone live with cloud-based distributi...
13/02/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
13/02/2026
Far from the action in the snow and on the ice, the team controls the production...
13/02/2026
The Daytona 500 is called The Super Bowl of Racing for a reason. Whether it's the culmination to five days of action on the track, the sheer size and scop...
13/02/2026
For the Milano Cortina Games, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) is delivering more than 6,500 hours of content, with more than 900 hours of live action, sprea...
13/02/2026
After 24-year absence, NBC Sports returns to NBA All-Star Weekend with unique ca...
13/02/2026
By Jessica Herndon
We may have just wrapped an unforgettable 2026 Sundance Film...
13/02/2026
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
13/02/2026
This Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify brought together a group of podcast creat...
13/02/2026
Yesterday, Spotify and LoveShackFancy hosted a Galentine's and Gents Lunch a...
13/02/2026
The upgrade to a Project 25 network provides state agencies communicating on the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System flexibility to tailor the network to the...
13/02/2026
Riedel Communications has officially opened a new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, marking a strategic expansion of its global Customer Success and IT software...
13/02/2026
Two of ES Broadcast Hire's longest-serving employees recently celebrated a decade working for the company.
Annie Breislin, Operations Manager, and Charles ...
13/02/2026
Disguise, the award-winning technology company powering global experiences, today unveils a new 8,000-square-foot office and Experience Center in Atlanta, creat...
13/02/2026
At BSC Expo 2026, Mavis announced full support for the Accsoon SeeMo series of iOS camera adapters across Mavis Camera and Mavis Monitor apps. This new integrat...
13/02/2026
Executing technically ambitious live streams, virtual productions, and immersive media today requires talent, creativity, and the right supporting technology. L...
13/02/2026
Michal Miskin-Amir, Jonathan Stanton and Bobby Bond to lead technical advances amid surge in demand for LTN's IP video transport services as satellite capac...
13/02/2026
Grass Valley, the pioneering media and entertainment technology innovator, has won a competitive NATO-wide tender to provide the new camera system for NATO'...
13/02/2026
Wireless IP intercom underpins agile, multi-location live production workflows
Digital Azul, the independent production powerhouse specialising in complex liv...
13/02/2026
Actus Digital, a LiveU company, will unveil major new enhancements to its Actus X Intelligent Monitoring Platform at NAB Show (LiveU booth N1740), reinforcing i...
13/02/2026
Globecast, a worldwide leader in broadcast services, and leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that Pitch International (Pitch), the leadi...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/02/2026
What can I watch on UKTV this week?What can I stream on U this week?
This guide highlights romantic dramas for Valentine's Day, alternative relationship t...
13/02/2026
New RT series tells stranger-than-fiction stories of Irish con artists
Swindlers airs Wednesday 18 February, 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
Swindlers, a...
12/02/2026
Chyron unveils PRIME 5.3, the latest software release of the company's powerful engine for live production graphics. PRIME 5.3 delivers the first official i...
12/02/2026
The vendor's VP of Product Management explains how quality assurance, monito...
12/02/2026
LTN announces the appointment of three experienced executives to lead its new Technology organization: Michal Miskin-Amir as EVP and Head of Technology, Jonatha...
12/02/2026
Riedel Communications has officially opened a new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malays...