The City of Cape Town’s Film Permits Office (FPO) has concluded a busy 2022/23 financial year, having issued more than 3 900 film permits.
A review of the FPO’s figures showed the past film season was one the busiest post the Covid-19 pandemic.
“American Monsters”, “Blood and Water” season 4, “Come Dine With Me Cape Town” and “Fear Factor India” were among some of the local and international productions filmed in Cape Town over the past 12 months.
Between July 2022 and July 2023, the FPO issued permits for feature films, commercials, TV series, stills photography, documentary films, short films, student projects and music videos.
While a majority of the permits issued were for commercials, Cape Town also hosted more than 100 large feature film productions and 499 TV series during that time.
The permit office also received bookings for more than 8 300 film locations over the same period.
“These numbers represent a significant improvement in interest in Cape Town as a film destination since the 2021/22 financial year, when 7 400 location bookings were processed,” Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said.
“This past season we have seen a number of international feature film and TV series productions heading to our shores as we steadily recover from the impact of the pandemic.
“The local film industry has also done an incredible job in attracting international brands to film their commercials here in Cape Town. The uptake in filming the past year is made possible by Cape Town’s reputation of a world-class local film industry, by having a competent and efficient film office and the fact that we have some of the best locations in the world within a few kilometres of the city centre.”
The film industry has proven itself a catalyst for economic growth, with a study commissioned by the City showing that the film industry contributed around R5 billion to the local economy annually, creating more than 35 000 jobs.
To support the growth in the industry and to assist the sector in reducing production costs, in July 2022 the City placed a freeze on all safety and security tariffs for filming within the city.
This included costs for traffic services, metro police and Law Enforcement.
Altogether, the municipality saved the industry more than R900 000 in costs through the tariff freeze, the City said.
The 2022/23 financial year was the third time in recent years that the City froze tariffs to assist the industry during difficult times.
Cape Times