How South Africa Rescued Its Rebate and Pulled the Industry Back From the Brink: We’re ‘Back in Business’ — SkimNews
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- The South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has paid off nearly 2 billion rand ($121 million) in unpaid rebate claims and secured roughly 1.5 billion rand ($91 million) to fund the country's 25% cash rebate through 2029.
- Nelly Molokoane, DTIC's director of film and television production, told the Durban FilmMart the department is 'back in business' and is now processing applications and rebate claims dating back to 2024.
- Producer Paul Buys of Rose and Oaks Media said the crisis cost thousands of jobs and left hundreds of companies suffering losses, with some rebate claims unpaid for two to four years.
- The Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition rallied industry bodies under months of political pressure that pushed DTIC into working through the two-year backlog.
- Independent Producers Organization chairperson Delon Bakker declared 'The worst is over' and said producers are 'definitely making progress,' though uncertainty remains about the pace of reform.
- Molokoane, who faced calls for her resignation from industry bodies, struck a conciliatory tone in Durban, telling filmmakers 'We are on board' and expressing a desire to ensure 'a sustainable industry.'
- Big World Cinema producer Steven Markovitz said the crisis has galvanized filmmakers to find ways to break their dependency on DTIC subsidies, regardless of what the incentive program eventually becomes.
Why it matters: South Africa's DTIC has cleared a R2 billion backlog and secured R1.5 billion through 2029, stabilizing the immediate crisis — but the rebate's future structure (modified cash rebate, tax credit, or alternate scheme) remains unresolved, meaning producers can't yet assure foreign partners that South Africa is a reliable filming destination.
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