It is no secret that Netflix has been focusing on creating local content in its markets outside of its native USA. At the South African Investment Conference in Sandton, Netflix said that it plans to invest R900-million in local content production over the next two years. Out of this budget they will be able to produce four new properties, one international and three local. It will be filmed in South Africa during this year and next, Netflix said.
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“These productions, which are just some of the many shows the company is creating in South Africa with local production partners like Film Afrika, Gambit Films, Quizzical Pictures and Burnt Onion, will significantly boost the South African film and TV industry,” Netflix said in a statement.
“South Africa is fast becoming a top global location for Netflix productions, with the country viewed as a go-to location with a robust and talented film industry filled with local creatives to bring international stories to life,” it said.
“Since our launch [in South Africa] in 2016, we’ve been working with creators and distributors to bring high-quality stories that showcase the best of the country’s creativity and talent to a global audience — and this is only the beginning,” said Shola Sanni, Netflix’s director of public policy in sub-Saharan Africa, in the statement.
“We are keen to see the government continue to maintain the favourable investment environment that has allowed for such investments thus far, including remarkable initiatives like the foreign film and production incentive scheme that the department of trade, industry & competition has operated, which is in partly responsible for putting South Africa at the front of the line as an attractive investment destination for production companies,” said Sanni in the statement.
“It would be great for our long-term investment plans to see even more transparency and predictability in that area, because the presence of a reliable incentive scheme is crucial for our financial decisions.”
