Parliament, Tuesday, 11 August 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition welcomes progress made to revive government support for South Africa’s film and television industry.
Following extensive engagements with the Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on 17 February 2026, the committee today received an update on progress made to resolve the challenges between the parties regarding the Film and Television Production Incentive Programme.
In February 2026, the committee heard that there had been delays in processing applications and payment of claims for incentives, excessive red tape in the application process, inconsistent interpretation of guidelines, no consultation with stakeholders regarding changes to the programme and uncertainty around its future. These challenges had serious consequences for production companies, investors and workers across the value chain, as they affect the domestic film and television industry’s ability to raise commercial capital for projects.
Today, the committee welcomed the agreed joint action plan presented by the department and the Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition to:
- Resolve administrative challenges and remove red tape regarding the application of the current guidelines, as well as the development of revised incentive guidelines and transitional arrangements;
- Process existing applications to eliminate the backlog; and
- Reinstate the adjudication committee for the film and television incentives to allow for the consideration of new project applications.
Furthermore, the committee urged the department to resolve its capacity constraints to ensure that the industry is adequately supported and to set timelines for the implementation of this plan.
The committee reaffirmed the value of the sector given that it is people-intensive and supports thousands of South Africans including actors, directors, producers and filmmakers but also small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), particularly in the services sector. Therefore, it welcomed the progress made by the parties to resolve these challenges.
Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mzwandile Masina, said: “We urge the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the industry to resolve these challenges and to ensure that the South African film and television industry is globally competitive. Actions taken should include engaging the National Treasury to identify sustainable financing solutions to attract continuous investment into the sector; thus, creating jobs and investor certainty.”
The committee will reconvene with the department and industry players in November 2026 to continue monitoring progress in implementing the agreed action plan. It is critical that the current challenges are resolved to restore the sector’s attractiveness to investors and improve its global competitiveness.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION, MR MZWANDILE MASINA.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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Email: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
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