Hollywood comes to SA

2008-12-05 11:01

Duncan Alfreds

Cape Town - Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) launched in Cape Town on December 1, bringing Hollywood to South Africa.

The launch got off with a bang with dramatic stunts, including cars being exploded and a violent fireball singeing the eyebrows of invited guests.

Angelo Manzoni of Wesgro told guests that the creative industry sector was a significant contributor to the economy of the Western Cape.

"The South African film industry can trace its roots back to 1896 and today, the average turnover for the industry in the Western Cape is R1bn per year," he said.

He added that the industry was a key generator of jobs in the province, employing some 20 900 people.

Niche market

The Department of Trade and Industry, represented by Kaya Ngkaka, indicated that the development of the CTFS was in line with the government's Asgisa programme.

Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille said that she didn't think that Dreamworld would happen, but is pleased at its launch.

"We launched the Dreamworld idea when I became mayor and we have delivered R20m in bulk services like roads. South Africa is becoming more competitive because of the weakening Rand and we have shown that we can compete in niche markets," she said.

Both banking group Absa and Telkom stated that they viewed themselves as partners in the launch of the CTFS.

Chair of CTFS Anant Singh said that this represent the next step in South Africa's movie industry.

"Even though we produce over 100 films in South Africa, there are gaps. We require studios and this project will fill that gap.

"Today we see the birth of the Cape Town Film Studios and we will be operational in a year," he added.

- News24