The film and television industry faces challenges due to delays in rebate approvals and payments, worsened by limited communication from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and a lack of clear strategies for growth and sustainability.

Members of the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, Independent Producers Organisation, Animation SA, South African Film Empowerment, Documentary Filmmakers Association, various industry captains, community partners, and allies of the creative industry protested outside the DTIC offices in Tshwane on Thursday last week voicing growing concerns over the DTIC’s failure to address critical issues impacting the industry.

With most of the companies being black-owned, the Independent Producers Organisation and Partners in the TV and Film Industry said jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of families have been affected, and livelihoods have been ruined.

In a statement issued last Friday, the organisation said that despite numerous letters and engagement efforts with the Department, their requests for meetings and updates have gone unanswered.

The organisations handed over a memorandum of understanding to the DTIC and demanded a response before the end of March.

“This inaction threatens not only the livelihoods of those directly involved in these industries but also the significant economic contributions that the sector makes to South Africa’s economy through its multiplier effects.

“We seek your urgent intervention to address critical concerns affecting the South African AV industry, its contributions to the national GDP, and job creation efforts.

“The independent production sector has considerable potential to boost the economy and attract essential foreign direct investment (FDI).

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this sector employed approximately 60,000 full-time and freelance workers, with a total induced employment figure exceeding 100,000 and production values ranging from R8 to 10 billion, including around R3.8 billion in FDI. Notably, 67% of industry workers are under age 35, which aligns with the goals of the National Development Plan 2030.

The organisation stressed that Production Rebate is essential for most independent and local films that rely on the incentive to reach financial close, adding that without these incentives, these films, documentaries, and television projects will not happen, and jobs will be

They demanded the treatment of industry and producers, particularly, as partners with the government in achieving its policy objectives while growing the economy and jobs, suggesting a change in the current manner in which the DTIC is dealing with industry.

Among other demands, they asked the department to pay all claims overdue for over 18 months, with some extending to 36 months.

“The Department’s last meeting was in February 2024. They have since continued to receive applications without approving them, thus creating more backlogs that need to be remedied.

“We are calling on the minister to sanction a full external investigation into the maladministration of the incentive by the DTIC and to get to the bottom of how this once well-functioning incentive has fallen into disrepair and mismanagement.

The DTIC had not provided a comment by the time this article was published.

thabo.makwakwa@iol.co.za

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