South African film and television professionals demand action outside Parliament: 'Save our jobs'

Hundreds of local film and television professionals staged a mass demonstration outside parliament today, Tuesday January 28 demanding immediate action from the Department of Trade, and Industry and Competition (DTIC) to save an industry that is "haemorrhaging" jobs and opportunities for the country to garner foreign investment.

During the protest, Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) deputy chairman Wandile Molebatsi said, the malfunction of department's film incentive scheme has stalled local and international productions, triggering a contraction of nearly 67 percent in industry activity.

This has led to the loss of income for 10 000s of workers and hundreds of small businesses across the value chain, with significant declines in foreign direct investment and investor confidence.

Speakers highlighted the devastating impact of stalled approvals, long-overdue rebate payments, and frozen production projects, arguing these are forcing major international and local shoots to move overseas.

Actors, crew members, writers, producers, and representatives from key industry bodies, including South African Guild of Actors (SAGA), the Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA), IPO, and the South African Screen Federation (SASFED), were united under the banner “Save SA Film Jobs” in their demand for immediate government action to rescue the embattled sector.

According to the memorandum the industry is a proven economic powerhouse.

The 2025 Olsberg Report highlights that the Film and Television Production Incentive (FTPI) has generated an estimated R26.4 billion in gross value added (GVA) over the last decade, with a strong average return of R5.1 for every R1 spent.

"The study also highlights significant spillover benefits beyond the screen sector, with micro-level 'ripple' analyses showing that between 57percent and 64 percent of production expenditure flows into non-screen industries such as construction, transport, hospitality, and professional services," reads the memorandum.

It also links a sharp decline in production activity since 2022 to administrative uncertainty, delayed payments, and reduced reliability of the incentive.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, who joined the representatives, said: "The industry has repeatedly raised concerns about the slow pace of rebate payments, which is not only hurting local production houses but foreign investment too."

He said the impact was severe as the industry, a central part of Cape Town's economy, as it supported more than 30 000 jobs, many now at risk; employment in the sector decreased by an average of 43.6 percent per year between 2021 and 2024; the film production investment has plummeted from over R6 billion in 2021 to approximately R962 million in 2024.

The City stands with the industry, but efforts to secure a meeting with DTIC minister Park Tau have so far failed.

"Every delay and every unpaid rebate means more jobs are moving out of Cape Town and out of the country," said one prominent producer.

"Thousands of local families depend on this industry. We were once a major economic powerhouse; now, we are facing total collapse without swift intervention."

The protest follows similar actions last year and precedes a planned national march at the DTIC headquarters in Pretoria tomorrow.

Industry leaders warn that without an urgent fix to the incentive crisis, the vibrant South African film and TV industry will not survive.

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