The Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition, an alliance representing eighteen major industry bodies across South Africa’s film and television value chain, has officially declared a third breakdown in negotiations with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).
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With thousands of filmmakers, cast, and crew members left facing widespread joblessness, the coalition has taken a decisive stand by appealing directly to the Presidency for urgent intervention to save the country’s struggling screen sector.
Escalating crisis over film incentives
The core of the dispute centres on the DTIC’s alleged continued failure to efficiently administer and honour signed agreements regarding the Film and Television Production Incentive scheme.
Despite signing a clear framework and Heads of Agreement in August 2026 to address severe application backlogs and restore confidence in local production funding, key commitments have gone unmet.
The coalition highlighted that crucial deadlines, including a target to complete revised operational guidelines, were missed, leaving letters sent to Minister Parks Tau unanswered.
Projections indicate that the department will severely underspend its allocated incentive budget this financial year, a direct consequence of administrative inertia that severely paralyses local independent productions and leaves entire crews without sustainable employment.
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Calling on the presidency for direct oversight
With formal engagements collapsing for the third time, industry leaders maintain that the position has become entirely untenable under current departmental leadership.
The coalition has called for the immediate removal of Ms Nelly Molokoane as head of the film and television incentive unit, citing a pattern of inconsistency, obstructive processes, and a breakdown of trust between the state and creative workers.
Calling directly on the Presidency to intervene, the alliance emphasises the need for a functional, predictable incentive scheme to protect South Africa’s competitive edge as a global filming destination. It warns that without one, thousands of local workers who depend on active productions for their livelihoods risk being left without work.
A month of mass demonstrations announced
To demand accountability and force a lasting resolution, the Coalition has announced a month of nationwide protest action scheduled to run from 28 January to 27 February 2027. Marking two years since industry members first picketed over the state of the incentive scheme, film workers across Cape Town and Gauteng will return to the streets.
The coalition reiterated that demonstrations will persist until government establishes a transparent, reliable framework that restores operational stability, protects local livelihoods, and unlocks the full economic potential of South African filmmaking.
Featured image: Instagram/@save.sa.film.jobs
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