Members of South Africa’s film and television industry staged protests outside parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday, warning that funding delays are pushing the sector into a deepening crisis and threatening thousands of jobs. The demonstration forms part of a nationwide campaign calling on the government to urgently address what industry groups describe as a breakdown in support mechanisms.
Several hundred actors, producers, technicians and other industry workers gathered outside the legislature holding placards reading “Save SA Film & TV” and “Save our industry.” Organisers said a second protest was planned in Pretoria, underscoring growing frustration across the country’s creative sector.
South Africa has one of the most established film and television industries on the African continent and has long been a hub for international productions, attracted by experienced crews, diverse locations and competitive costs. Industry representatives say those advantages are now at risk as projects stall and work shifts to other countries.
Unathi Malunga, an entertainment lawyer and former chief executive of the South African Screen Federation, said the sector has been largely overlooked by policymakers. She told reporters that the lack of intervention has already led to job losses and declining opportunities for local professionals, with productions increasingly choosing to film elsewhere.
At the centre of the dispute is the South African Film and Television Production Incentive, a rebate programme administered by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The incentive is designed to support qualifying productions by covering part of their local expenditure, making South Africa more competitive as a filming destination.
A coalition of industry bodies said in a memorandum delivered to parliament that meetings to approve rebate applications have stalled, effectively bringing large parts of the industry to a halt. The group called for those meetings to resume immediately and demanded an investigation into alleged mismanagement and governance failures within the incentive programme, though it did not provide further details.
A spokesperson for the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition declined to comment on the allegations, saying the department would respond directly to the coalition within a ten-day timeframe.
The protest follows similar demonstrations last year, after which industry figures say little changed. Melanie Du Bois, an actor who has appeared in South African soap operas and the Showmax drama series “Spinners,” said the lack of funding has left many workers without income or future prospects. She said the goal of the protest was to push the government to take responsibility and allow the industry to recover and grow again.
As pressure mounts, industry leaders warn that continued delays could have long-term consequences, not only for employment but also for South Africa’s reputation as a reliable destination for film and television production.
