The Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition has formally declared that its engagement process with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has reached a deadlock.
Over the past six months, the Coalition has participated in only five meetings with the DTIC, despite the severity of the crisis facing the sector. Throughout this period, the Coalition has struggled to secure meaningful engagement from the Department, which has engaged reluctantly and has not demonstrated the level of urgency, collaboration, or responsiveness that would be expected in circumstances where an entire industry is under severe distress. Despite correspondence and the submission of detailed proposals to stabilise the Film and Television Production Incentive, the process has produced little more than “talk shops”, with no meaningful implementation on the urgent issues threatening the survival of the sector.
The Coalition represents the largest number of organisations across the South African film and television value chain, including producers, writers, actors, directors, editors, cinematographers, documentary filmmakers, animation professionals, stunt performers, managers, and other industry stakeholders.
The DTIC Film and Television Production Incentive has, in practical terms, remained non-functional for an extended period. Adjudication Committee meetings have not resumed for almost two and a half years, applications remain unprocessed, productions have been stalled, and jobs across the sector remain at risk.
The Coalition has repeatedly warned that the continued failure to restart adjudication and process applications creates a real and immediate risk that allocated public funds may go unused, despite the severe distress currently facing the industry.
This would be an unacceptable outcome at a time when producers, workers, service providers, and businesses across the sector are calling only for the existing incentive to function and for applications already in the system to be processed.
Demands largely unmet
The Coalition previously presented a memorandum of demands to the DTIC earlier in January this year after nationwide demonstrations, calling for urgent steps to stabilise and reform the incentive. While a meeting with Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimipi did take place, the majority of demands have largely not been met.
These include the immediate resumption of Adjudication Committee meetings, the processing of applications already in the system, proper working groups to deal with short- and medium-term solutions, improved transparency, a reduction in red tape, regular guideline interpretation workshops, and meaningful accountability for the breakdown of the incentive.
Although the Deputy Minister had instructed that workshops and working groups commence, these processes have not been properly implemented. Instead, engagements have increasingly become discussion forums without clear decisions, timelines, deliverables, or implementation.
Threat of underspent budget
The Coalition has repeatedly warned that the continued failure to resume Adjudication Committee meetings creates a real and immediate risk that the Film Unit will underspend its allocated budget in the current financial year. This would be indefensible while productions are stalled, applications remain unprocessed, and jobs are being lost.
If the Film Unit cannot even deploy the current budget already allocated to the incentive, serious questions must be asked about its ability to develop or implement any credible solution to the wider crisis facing the sector, which includes accepting applications for new projects.
Loss of confidence in Film Unit leadership
The Coalition has lost confidence in the current leadership of the Film Unit.
For many years, the Film and Television Production Incentive was regarded by the industry as one of the most reliable and efficient production incentives internationally. It gave local and international producers, financiers, broadcasters, studios, and service providers confidence that South Africa was a dependable production destination.
That confidence has been severely damaged.
The incentive has deteriorated from a functioning and trusted system into one that has, in practical terms, become non-operational. The Coalition does not believe that the same leadership under which this breakdown occurred can credibly be expected to restore confidence in the incentive.
The Coalition has therefore called for the removal of Ms Nelly Molokoane from the Film Unit and from any further decision-making relating to the Film and Television Production Incentive. This resolution was adopted by the Coalition, with all votes cast in favour and a single abstention.
Breakdown in communication
On 13 July 2026, the Coalition wrote to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Honourable Parks Tau, requesting urgent Ministerial intervention. The Coalition requested, among other things, the immediate reopening of adjudication committee meetings, the urgent processing of applications, and a formal written response within seven calendar days.
To date, no response has been received.
The Coalition is deeply concerned by this lack of response, particularly given the seriousness of the crisis and the urgent need for implementation. Since the previous Parliamentary Portfolio Committee process, the Coalition has only had one meeting with the Deputy Minister and has not met with the Minister.
This continued lack of engagement reinforces the Coalition’s view that the DTIC does not appear to grasp the gravity of the lack of action and implementation.
The industry is not merely awaiting policy discussion. It is facing an immediate operational crisis.
Coalition to return to Parliament and shall begin re-mobilisation
The Coalition will now request to appear urgently before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition to update the Committee on the deadlock, the failure of implementation, the risk of budget underspending, and the worsening impact on the sector.
The Coalition is also considering a renewed mobilisation of the industry, including nationwide protest action on a greater scale than seen before, should urgent and meaningful intervention not take place.
The Coalition does not take this step lightly. However, after months of engagement, it is clear that the current process has failed to deliver the action required to save jobs, restore confidence, and stabilise the industry.
The Coalition remains committed to resolving this matter constructively. However, the industry cannot continue to wait while transformation is reversed, productions collapse, jobs are lost, public funds risk going unused, and confidence in South Africa’s film and television production sector continues to deteriorate.
The Coalition calls on parliament and the minister to act urgently and decisively.
Coalition members include:
- Animation South Africa
- Writers Guild of South Africa
- The South African Stunts Association
- The South African National Editors Forum
- The Independent Producer Organization
- The South African Guild of Actors
- The South African Screen Federation
- Personal Managers Association
- The South African Performing Artists Managers Association
- Creative20
- Cinegear World
- The South African Society of Cinematographers
- The Soweto Film Market
- Independent Directors Association of Africa
- The South African Guild of Editors
- The Documentary Filmmakers Association
