Explore a City Built on Creativity and Innovation  

Cape Town has undeniably become the go-to city for African and international film and media productions.  

With its innovative epicentre for visual storytelling, both the South African film industry and international creators have produced awe-inspiring works of art in this captivating city. It’s no wonder Cape Town culture is considered among the best in the world.

With increasingly bigger budget movies being shot in the Mother City, it comes as no surprise that the City of Cape Town and its film industry have developed a strong partnership over the past decade. This collaboration has led to the creation of the Film Cape Town initiative, aimed at further cementing Cape Town’s position as Africa’s premier film and media hub. 

During 2022-2023, the film industry flourished and proved to be a catalyst for economic growth. Through a City-commissioned study, it was determined that the film and media sector contributes approximately R5 billion to the local economy annually, and has created more than 35 000 jobs. 

Why produce Film & Media in Cape Town?

Cape Town is an internationally competitive film and media destination that offers top-notch locations for production teams. The city boasts a variety of world-class locations, studios, facilitation companies and specialised crews. This has consistently attracted some of the world’s leading filmmakers to the city. Additionally, Cape Town has established itself as South Africa’s Digitech & New-Media hub, with over 50% of all South African gaming studios located in the city, along with a significant portion of the country’s animation and design studios. The increased demand for local content has fuelled the animation industry in Cape Town, which pursues innovative stories around under-represented cultures. As a result, Cape Town’s animation studios are the largest producers of animation on the African continent. 

Competitive Advantages of Filming in Cape Town 

It’s not uncommon to spot celebrities around town in the Mother City, where the film industry continues to flourish for several reasons. For international filmmakers, Cape Town is an attractive destination due to the city’s affordability, strong reputation, and incredibly diverse landscapes. But beyond these initial pulls, the Cape Town lifestyle offers a wealth of hidden gems and competitive advantages that keep productions coming back for more. 

• Cape Town boasts a massive filming location library with around 5,000 identified spots in public spaces, and many more on private property.  
• Cape Town’s stunning portfolio of locations includes a range of urbanscapes, mountainous and nature-based settings, which provide filmmakers with the flexibility to shoot in multiple locations within one destination. 
• Open any travel mag or tour brochure and witness Cape Town’s stunning scenery. From majestic Table Mountain to pristine beaches and charming historical buildings, the city offers a remarkable range of locations that perfectly suit almost any film genre.  
• The Mother City boasts a variety of architectural styles, including colonial and European aesthetics, like the Cape Dutch estates. Within the CBD, locations like the V&A Waterfront (which has its own permit office), Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), the Cape Town Stadium, and Cape Town Civic Centre are all popular locations for scenes. Cape Nature and SANParks are also nearby to provide backdrops of incredible natural splendour. 
• Cape Town’s film industry continues to thrive. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the City’s Film Permit Office issued over 3,900 film permits and received bookings for more than 8,300 film locations. This sustained momentum reinforces Cape Town’s position as a global filming powerhouse, rivalling major destinations like Toronto. 
• The compatibility of the region with foreign destinations is also hard to ignore. Cape Town and the broader Western Cape have a highly diverse landscape that can replicate foreign destinations at a lower cost than other locations, making it a convenient destination for EU producers due to its time zone and ease of travel from Europe. Additionally, lengthy daylight hours in summer make for better shooting durations, with an average of 15 hours from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm. 
• The film and media industry in Cape Town has an excellent global reputation, with international production companies noting the level of service provided in the destination, the quality of local crews, and the availability of purpose-built infrastructure, as well as established broadband capabilities.

Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) Continues to Thrive 

Cape Town Film Studios is the first world-class, custom-built, high-tech film studio complex in sub-Saharan Africa. As the largest studio in the country, it offers state-of-the-art production facilities and innovative management, setting a new standard for functionality and cutting-edge design. With an unparalleled ability to deliver value for money on screen, it’s become the go-to destination for international productions, bolstering South Africa’s film industry reputation. The studio’s economic impact, currently standing at R21 billion, reflects its significant contribution to Cape Town’s film industry, with over 98,000 jobs created during its first decade of operation. 

Popular Productions Filmed in Cape Town 

• Company 
• Warrior seasons 1, 2 and 3 (Cinemax, HBO MAX, Warner Brothers, Moonlighting, 2017–2019, 2021) 
• Origin Google, (YouTube Red, Left Bank Pictures, Moonlighting, 2018) 
• Doctor Who (BBC, Out of Africa, 2018) 
• Good Omens (Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, BBC Worldwide, Blank Corporation Out of Africa, 2018) 
• Bloodshot (Sony Pictures Entertainment, Moonlighting, 2018) 
• Monster Hunter (Capcom Company, Impact Pictures, Moonlighting, 2018) 
• Inside Man 2 (Universal Pictures, Moonlighting, 2017) 
• Raised by Wolves (Scott Free Productions, Film Afrika, 2018–2019) 
• Poppie Nongena (Helena Spring Films, 2018) 
• Riding with Sugar (Netflix, Shekinah Tribe, Helena Spring Films, 2018) 
• Jim Button (Malao Film, Rat Pack Filmproduktion, Studio Babelsberg, Warner Brothers, Moonlighting, 2018) 
• Vagrant Queen (Blue Ice Pictures, Blue Ice Films, 2019) 
• The Watch (BBC Studios, Narrativia, Film Afrika, 2019) 
• The Mauritanian (BBC Films, Moonlighting, 2019) 
• Deep Blue Sea 3 (Warner Brothers, Film Afrika, 2019) 
• Raised by Wolves seasons 1 and 2 (HBO Max/Scott Free Productions, Film Afrika, 2019–2021) 
• Around the World in Eighty Days (France Television/Federation, Film Afrika, 2020–2021) 
• Black Beauty (Netflix, Constantin Film, Moonlighting, 2019) 
• Redeeming Love (Mission Pictures International, Nthibah Pictures, 2022) 
• Afterlife of the Party (Netflix, Advantage Entertainment, 2022) 
• One Piece season 1 (Netflix, Film Afrika, 2021–2022) 

Invest in the Cape Town Film & Media Industry 

While the USA has Hollywood and India has Bollywood, Cape Town has earned the unofficial nickname of “Mzansiwood”. With the right backing and continued growth, the city promises a future filled with incredible film and media productions. Additionally, South Africa offers attractive opportunities that make Cape Town a dream destination for production teams.