W Cape a star in the movie industry

Cash and jobs pour in as Wesgro succeeds in its mandate

WESGRO has organised nine film and media declarations in the 2017/18 financial year, contributing R1.92 billion and creating more than 2 000 jobs in the province. Wesgro said its Film and Media Promotion Unit had also delivered more than R33 million in advertising value equivalent (AVE) through marketing support during the period.

The aim of the unit is to attract the production of local and international films and new media productions into Cape Town and the Western Cape. Wesgro chief executive Tim Harris said the film and media market remained one of the largest contributors to the provincial economy. “It can garner much more international direct investment and local growth if we maintain and stabilise our legislative and incentive frameworks.”

The unit facilitated the growth of industry in a variety of different ways, including four outbound missions to France and Canada last year and to Germany earlier this year, while 603 companies were upskilled through the completion of exporter advancement promotion (EAP) courses in partnership with industry and partnerships around inbound missions.

The unit also facilitated 23 separate inbound missions from Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, UK, Qatar and Russia, while 75 Western Cape companies were assisted on outbound missions to five festival markets in China, Switzerland, France and Canada.

Monica Rovrik, head of the unit’s film team, said more than $30bn had been spent on production by the Motion Picture Association companies globally. She said South Africa was likely to grow its footprint of spend from $400m to $1.5bn.

“Wesgro FMP is helping to facilitate this discussion and to attract even more of this spend to the region,” said Rovrik.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde said the Western Cape had been growing traction as a destination of choice for film-makers from all over the world and these results were proof of the excellent facilities and value offered in the province.

“It’s also good to see the number of local jobs being created, which means that film-makers are recognising the skills of our crews,” said Winde.