South Africa’s film and television industry is facing a deepening crisis, with hundreds of jobs at risk, as filmmakers and creative workers picketed outside Parliament on Wednesday over delays in the government’s incentive system.

Filmmakers, producers, actors, crew members, and other workers in the sector, joined by members of the public, gathered outside Parliament in a show of frustration and solidarity.

The protest was organised by a coalition of industry bodies calling for urgent reform of the stalled incentive system. Leaders of the coalition said the industry has been in decline since the incentive ceased to operate effectively.

They warned that ongoing delays have severely disrupted production schedules and discouraged foreign investment, placing the sector under immense strain.

According to the coalition, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (DTIC) failure to consistently and accurately process tax rebate applications, and to pay incentives back to foreign investors, has effectively brought the system to a halt. This, they said, has resulted in reduced production activity and mass loss of jobs.

Addressing the crowd, popular actor and coalition member Wandile Molebatsi, said the industry has shrunk by more than 50% over time, describing the situation as a crisis that threatens the survival of the sector.

The coalition includes Animation SA, the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association of South Africa, Creative 20, the SA Forum of Editors, the SA Society of Cinematographers, the SA Screen Federation, the Soweto Film Festival, and the Writers’ Guild of South Africa.

Among those picketing was filmmaker and production accountant Athi Ntabeni, who said she has been directly affected by delays in incentive payments and has been without steady work for almost a year.

“As a freelance production accountant, there have been very few jobs. It has become extremely difficult to make a living and support my family,” Ntabeni said. “Not paying the incentives is derailing the industry. If international companies can’t benefit from coming here to shoot, there won’t be jobs available.”

She said that when she started out, work was consistent and well-paying enough to sustain life as a freelancer. Today, she said, opportunities are limited or non-existent.

“My creativity has been affected over time. I’m more worried about putting food on the table than creating and networking,” she said.

Ntabeni added that two productions she worked on in the past four years never received their rebates.

“We completed season one and submitted the rebate. When it came to season two, we couldn’t apply because they weren’t accepting new applications. As a result, season three will not return to shoot here because there is no money.”

Emmy Award-winning production designer Warren Grey warned that the long-term impact of the incentive system failing would be devastating.

“What we are facing is a destroyed sector. It will also take South Africa off the map as a shooting destination,” Grey said. “They need to reinstate the rebate and give us a clear date on when this will happen.”

Grey, who has worked in the industry for more than 25 years, said the rebate previously played a key role in empowering young and emerging talent, and in creating consistent work in Cape Town. He said opportunities have since dried up.

“At the moment, I’m not getting interviews. I’m not getting work,” he said. “Many of us are trying to make independent films, but we still need assistance from the DTIC because there is no funding.”

He added that without a functioning incentive system, South Africa loses its appeal to foreign productions.

“Without the dtic rebate incentive, there is no attraction for foreign investment. We need it to work so that jobs can return to the industry.”

Actor and producer Siv Ngesi, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, agreed that conditions have deteriorated sharply.

“We used to move from job to job. People were living good lives, and now that’s been destroyed,” Ngesi said. “People don’t realise that art is labour. It is work.”

The coalition’s demands include an urgent in-person meeting between the SA Film Jobs Coalition and the leadership of the DTIC, including the minister, as well as meetings with deputy ministers to address what they described as a crisis that has brought the industry to a standstill.

They are also calling for immediate assistance, the establishment of an adjudication committee, and the creation of working groups between the industry and the DTIC within 21 working days.

The coalition is demanding a response within 10 working days.

As the memorandum was handed over, members of the crowd chanted “Do more”, “Do your job”, and “We want accountability”.

The chairperson of the DTIC, Mzwandile Manyi, accepted the memorandum and committed to responding within the stated deadline. Coalition members were later invited into Parliament for a briefing meeting.

lilita.gcwabe@inl.co.za

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