Why to produce your next film in Africa

The world’s second largest continent is on the rise. Not only does Africa have the highest proportion of entrepreneurs in the world, but it also boasts a vibrant, growing, and fast-evolving film industry.

If you’re on the hunt for a location for your next film or television production, look no further. Here’s why shooting on the African continent makes complete sense.

Africa offers a wide variety of locations

Africa spans all four hemispheres, and offers everything from the lush, tropical jungles of Ghana and the serene idyllic beaches of Mauritius, to the iconic savannas of Southern Africa and the vast desert landscapes of Namibia.

Whatever the shot calls for, chances are that Africa has the perfect location – one that hasn’t been overexposed in film or, possibly, ever been shown on screen before.

Explore just two recent projects Stage Five Films produced and it becomes clear that a country like South Africa offers filmmakers a variety of breathtaking locations:

For the multi-award-winning African western, Five Fingers for Marseilles, we successfully navigated a 90-strong team through sub-zero temperatures to a location at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the Free State Province of South Africa. A film with awe-inspiring scenery was produced.

When producing the Danish series Liberty, we successfully replicated 1970s Tanzania in the City of Tshwane in South Africa. The highly acclaimed series premiered at Berlinale Drama Series Days 2018.

Financial film incentives

In addition to having access to amazingly diverse locations, filming in South Africa offers a number of financial incentives.

The South African Foreign Film and Television Production and Post Production Incentive, for example, provides foreign filmmakers with a 25% rebate on Qualifying South African Production Expenditure and an additional 5% incentive for post-production conducted in the country.

For official co-production treaty countries like Canada, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland, the South African Film and Television Co-Production Incentive offers a 35% rebate.

World-class local resources

The South African film and television industry has boomed since the end of Apartheid. With experienced crew and world-class film infrastructure, the country has hosted the production of countless films, television series and commercials in the last 25 years.

Our gear houses offer state-of-the-art video and film equipment, our banking and financial systems are among the most secure in the world, and many local film production companies (including Stage Five Films) have proven their ability to safely manage the cash flow of multi-million-dollar projects.

As major studios and producers of series such as Black Sails, The Queen, and Black Mirror can attest, the technical crew and post-production infrastructure that’s available in South Africa are more than comparable to international standards.

Africa has a huge amount to offer, with diverse locations, financial film incentives, and great production resources just waiting to be discovered.

Need a gateway to the continent? Get in touch: info@stage5films.com