Cape Town rising in the film industry

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The city is seen as an attractive option in terms of production costs due to its competitive film tariffs and user charges for filming, acting as an incentive and in so doing helping to stimulate the local economy through generating increased opportunities for both local and international production companies.

This booming industry ensures valuable skills transfer from international crews to our local crews, which is critical to the future sustainability of the industry. The exponential growth in this lucrative industry has led the City of Cape Town to explore other options to expand the current capacity for the film industry.

"Although some shoots can be a bit disruptive, the fact that majority of Capetonians are quite star-struck and enjoy spotting different famous faces around the city, as well as the impact the industry has on the local economy, makes the temporary disruption worthwhile," says the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, councillor Garreth Bloor

The local film industry contributes approximately R5 billion to the economy and has over the past three years created more than 35,000 jobs. The industry showcases Cape Town, its diversity of locations, technical film capacity and talent and also provides value-added marketing and investment collateral for the city.

"The film industry plays a vital role in the economy of the Western Cape. It stimulates growth, generates substantial employment, and brings in valuable foreign exchange. It is also one of the best forms of promotion for our city," added Bloor.