Cape Town film industry booming again with 4,000 film permits issued

The Cape Town film industry is back to its glory days with the City of Cape Town having issued almost 4,000 film permits in one year. 

This week the city described the 2022/2023 financial year as the busiest post-Covid-19 pandemic, with its film permit office having issued 3,900 permits for feature films, commercials, TV series, documentary films, student projects and music videos among others. 

Most of the permits were for commercials but the Mother City also hosted more than 100 large feature film productions and 499 TV series during that time. Notable productions filmed in the past year include:

• American Monsters;
• Blood and Water’s fourth season;
• Come Dine with Me Cape Town; and
• Fear Factor India.

The permit office also received bookings for more than 8,300 film locations over the same period. The city said the latest 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. 

“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,” said safety and security MMC JP Smith. 

“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 as a world-class local film industry, by having a competent and efficient film office and some of the best locations in the world within a few kilometres of the city centre.” 

Smith said the film industry has proven a catalyst for economic growth. A study commissioned by the city shows that the film industry contributes about R5bn to the local economy each year and has created more than 35,000 jobs. 

To support the growth in the industry and assist the sector in reducing production costs, last July the city placed a freeze on all safety and security tariffs for filming within the city, such as traffic services, metro police and law enforcement. 

“Altogether, the municipality saved the industry over R900,000 in costs through the tariff freeze,” said Smith. 

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