29 Jun 2022

Film Incentive

by | posted in: South African Business Grants | 0

What is the Film Incentive?

The South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive is available to South African black-owned qualifying productions. The South African government offers a package of incentives to promote its film production and post-production industry. The incentives consist of the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production incentive to attract foreign-based film productions to shoot on location in South Africa and conduct post-production activities, and the South African Film and Television Production and Co-Production incentive, which aims to assist local film producers in the production of local content.

Film Incentive

Benefits:

  • The rebate is calculated as 35% of QSAPE.
  • An additional 5% of QSAPE is provided for productions hiring at least 30% of black South African citizens as head of departments (HODs) and procuring at least 30% of QSAPE from 51% South African black-owned entities which have been operating for at least a period of one year; with a cap of R50 million per project.

Objectives:

To support the local film industry and to contribute towards employment opportunities in South Africa.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Productions must have a minimum QSAPE of R1.5 million for all qualifying production formats and a minimum of R500 000 for documentaries
  • At least 14 calendar days and 60% of principal photography must be filmed in South Africa. This requirement may be waived for productions with a minimum QSAPE of R50 million.
  • A minimum of 75% of the total production budget (TPE) must be QSAPE.
  • The majority of intellectual property must be owned by a South African citizen(s) and the copyright must be registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
  • The Director must be a South African citizen.
  • The top writer and producer credits must include South African citizens either exclusive or shared collaboration credits.
  • The majority of the five highest-paid performers must be South African citizens.
  • The majority of Heads of Departments (HODs) and key personnel must be South African citizens, with at least 20% of the HODs on core production functions being black South African citizens.
  • Secured a minimum of 25% of the total budget.
  • The holding company and SPCV must achieve at least a level 3 and level 4 B-BBEE contributor status respectively, in terms of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.