FILMING IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Last update Dec 2018
Salaries in South Africa are still very competitive to Europe.
VAT is 15% and refundable. Exports carry no VAT. Premium days - Sundays & Public Holidays, 7th working day and every consecutive day after day 7. The first night of a night shoot. The premium is 150%. Turnaround time is charged at pro-rata per hour less than 10 hours between shifts. The working day starts from the unit base or location within a 40km radius of the city centre. (Please note crew practices are constantly evolving but crew conditions are generally reasonable and film-friendly.)
CREW
Crews are flexible when it comes to working overtime and will do their best to carry out anything within reason. They all speak English and have a great deal of experience of working with international personnel. South Africa has some excellent DOPs.
INCENTIVES
South Africa offers incentives in the form of a cash rebate ranging from 20% to 35% depending on how a production is structured. Whilst it is true that there are substantial requirements in terms of paperwork and guidelines to follow, and that the rebate is never guaranteed, the cash rebate can be fairly reliable as long as your service company follows the guidelines correctly. It is worth noting that the eligibility of expenditure is currently only approved after production wraps as there are new rules dictating the amount of spend made into companies that have black ownership. Furthermore permanent residents of RSA who are not RSA citizens are no longer eligible costs for refund purposes. The film community is currently lobbying to change these rules in a way where both the economy and the industry can thrive together.
STUDIOS
Cape Town has a range from small daylight studios to large 'blimped' 400m2 studios in the city centre. Larger structures are available such as aircraft hangars. A large new studio Cape Town Film Studios boasts the first proper sound stages in Cape Town. There is also a large water tank where the TV series "Black Sails" was filmed.
EQUIPMENT
South Africa has an extensive range of equipment. Alexa, Moviecam, Arriflex and Panavision are supported. There are SuperTechno Cranes and an extensive gripping inventory. (The Giraffe Crane was invented and made by FilmAir in Cape Town!). There are small lighting companies as well as AFM and Arri Media. If it exists then it generally can be found in Cape Town. There is also a large number of Red and Epic cameras available.
POST
There are three leading VFX houses with international credits. Also first-class post houses are available in both Cape Town and South Africa.
WEATHER
The seasons in Cape Town are swapped with Europe and America, meaning Cape Town enjoys lovely summers during the worst of the European winters.
SAFETY
Despite all the news about SA being a violent nation, it is important to note that the majority of crime in Cape Town happens in townships. All filmmakers I know who filmed in South Africa, especially in Cape Town, have fond memories and are eager to return in a heartbeat.
OTHER
The water crisis in Cape Town which was much publicized locally is no longer a national crisis. Capetownians are managing to be more careful with their water consumption and the weather has in 2018 started to be act favorably. Also the government has initiated infrastructure plans in order to tackle this issue faster should another serious drought hit the city.
More about filming in Cape Town
A taste of locations
Salaries in South Africa are still very competitive to Europe.
VAT is 15% and refundable. Exports carry no VAT. Premium days - Sundays & Public Holidays, 7th working day and every consecutive day after day 7. The first night of a night shoot. The premium is 150%. Turnaround time is charged at pro-rata per hour less than 10 hours between shifts. The working day starts from the unit base or location within a 40km radius of the city centre. (Please note crew practices are constantly evolving but crew conditions are generally reasonable and film-friendly.)
CREW
Crews are flexible when it comes to working overtime and will do their best to carry out anything within reason. They all speak English and have a great deal of experience of working with international personnel. South Africa has some excellent DOPs.
INCENTIVES
South Africa offers incentives in the form of a cash rebate ranging from 20% to 35% depending on how a production is structured. Whilst it is true that there are substantial requirements in terms of paperwork and guidelines to follow, and that the rebate is never guaranteed, the cash rebate can be fairly reliable as long as your service company follows the guidelines correctly. It is worth noting that the eligibility of expenditure is currently only approved after production wraps as there are new rules dictating the amount of spend made into companies that have black ownership. Furthermore permanent residents of RSA who are not RSA citizens are no longer eligible costs for refund purposes. The film community is currently lobbying to change these rules in a way where both the economy and the industry can thrive together.
STUDIOS
Cape Town has a range from small daylight studios to large 'blimped' 400m2 studios in the city centre. Larger structures are available such as aircraft hangars. A large new studio Cape Town Film Studios boasts the first proper sound stages in Cape Town. There is also a large water tank where the TV series "Black Sails" was filmed.
EQUIPMENT
South Africa has an extensive range of equipment. Alexa, Moviecam, Arriflex and Panavision are supported. There are SuperTechno Cranes and an extensive gripping inventory. (The Giraffe Crane was invented and made by FilmAir in Cape Town!). There are small lighting companies as well as AFM and Arri Media. If it exists then it generally can be found in Cape Town. There is also a large number of Red and Epic cameras available.
POST
There are three leading VFX houses with international credits. Also first-class post houses are available in both Cape Town and South Africa.
WEATHER
The seasons in Cape Town are swapped with Europe and America, meaning Cape Town enjoys lovely summers during the worst of the European winters.
SAFETY
Despite all the news about SA being a violent nation, it is important to note that the majority of crime in Cape Town happens in townships. All filmmakers I know who filmed in South Africa, especially in Cape Town, have fond memories and are eager to return in a heartbeat.
OTHER
The water crisis in Cape Town which was much publicized locally is no longer a national crisis. Capetownians are managing to be more careful with their water consumption and the weather has in 2018 started to be act favorably. Also the government has initiated infrastructure plans in order to tackle this issue faster should another serious drought hit the city.
More about filming in Cape Town
A taste of locations