R5.2 billion investment: How South Africa’s film industry grows tourism and creates jobs

South Africa’s film industry is making a significant impact on the economy, bringing in billions of rands, creating jobs, and boosting tourism.

During a press conference on Tuesday at the Hotel Sky in Sandton, the International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFA) and its partners discussed the significant impact the industry is having on the South African economy.

ITFA celebrates storytelling through film and through collaborations and initiatives like the Young Creatives Challenge, the organisation empowers filmmakers and highlights Africa as a premier tourism destination.

Between November 2023 and June 2024, international film productions brought R2.52 billion into the country, according to ITFA.

By October 2025, this number is expected to grow to over R6 billion.

James Byrne, co-founding director of ITFA International, shared that production crews alone booked over 59,000 hotel bed nights, contributing nearly R148 million to South Africa’s hospitality sector.

“There are synergies and inextricable linkages between film and tourism, as well as youth employment and development.

“We need to bring both the film and tourism industries and sectors together so that we can find the best ways to maximise the opportunities that exist between the two while creating employment opportunities for our youth and for our people as a collective whole,” Byrne told The Citizen.

The film sector’s influence extends beyond filmmaking, generating significant demand in tourism-related industries.

Bobby Amm, CEO of the Commercial Producers Association South Africa (CPASA), highlighted that the industry also helps small businesses grow.

“It is also important to note that film production has a strong multiplier effect. It has been estimated that for every rand spent on film production in South Africa, an additional R2.50 is generated in the local economy,” he said.

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Connecting film and tourism

Byrne explained that they see the parallels between film and tourism and aim to foster that conversation and play a central role in facilitating and mediating its development to reach its full potential.

“By using South Africa’s beautiful locations and skilled workers, we attract international films, which create jobs and grow the economy,” he said.

Caroline Ungersbock, ITFA’s director, added: “Our goal is to promote South Africa as a great place to make movies. The foreign money coming in helps build a strong and sustainable industry.”

Ugersbock also expressed the desire to grow even further in the coming years.

“Over the years, we’ve received over 4,000 films from 97 different countries. For 2025, we’re going to have 30 exhibition stands. Hopefully, the following year we can double that.

“At our awards dinner this year, we only had 140 people. We were oversubscribed by 80 people. Next year, we’re going to go to 300.”

She also shared that the film industry has faced some challenges, particularly in receiving proper support from government departments.

“We came back from Europe and brought the concept of the International Tourism Film Festival to the Tourism department. They said, ‘But you’re a film festival, so you need to go to Arts and Culture.’

“We went to Arts and Culture and they said, ‘No, but you’re a tourism thing, you need to go to the Department of Tourism.’ And so we were always thrown from one end to the other because people couldn’t see what the value of film tourism actually is.

“Film and tourism are connected, but it has taken time for everyone to understand how they can work together.”

How the film industry is expected to grow by 2025

The film industry is expected to contribute significantly to South Africa’s tourism economy by 2025, with projections showing over 12,000 flights, generating R350.8 million in revenue.

In addition, international film crews are expected to book more than 68,000 hotel nights, contributing R180.9 million.

Overall, the tourism sector is set to benefit from a total projected revenue of R6.37 billion. The Western Cape is a top choice for international film projects, while Gauteng leads in local productions.

As the industry grows, South Africa is becoming a global hotspot for filmmaking, boosting tourism and opening new economic opportunities.

“It’s also been quite encouraging to see the different provinces and cities recognising the synergy between film and tourism, and seeing them come together.

“We really are trying hard to work them together, and we are trying to promote South Africa as a filming destination so the more people we can introduce South Africa to, the more jobs can be created.

“Instead of using the local pool of money that we’ve got, we get foreign currency coming in, and there’s nothing better than foreign currency coming in because that will truly build an industry,” Ungersbock said.

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