The Film, Gaming and Animation Industry and Renting of Film Equipment In South Africa 2020

Film, Gaming and Animation Industry, and the Renting of Film Equipment

High speed internet and increased accessibility have been game changers for the film, animation and gaming industry. Online streaming services such as Netflix and Showmax have changed the way people consume TV and film. Streaming has also changed the way copyright and licensing agreements are structured. Coronavirus has had a massive impact on the film industry as cinemas closed, filming stopped initially and online streaming and gaming burgeoned. Local television production was declared an essential service and continued with restrictions.

Dominance of the Big Players

The biggest obstacle to a flourishing industry in South Africa is the stranglehold that the broadcasters have on the sector in terms of ownership of content. This is changing as the monopoly that the SABC, M-Net and eTV have is being challenged because of the streaming opportunities presented by Netflix in particular. Local film companies are now able to secure deals with global reach.

Barriers to Entry

Content creation is capital intensive and requires high level technology and high level skill sets, and professional film schools are costly. The film industry relies heavily on the broadcasters to secure money for production. Filmmaking is resource intensive and securing funds to produce films is highly competitive, as is funding for marketing and distribution. But technology is increasing accessibility and making production more cost-effective, and it is relatively easy to set up a small-scale film company.

Report Coverage

This report covers various components of the film industry, including film, animation, gaming and the renting of film equipment. The film industry includes film, documentary and television content production, commercials, animation and gaming. The report includes comprehensive information on the state of the industry, box office and market share statistics, and developments. There are profiles of 60 companies including film distributors such as Filmfinity, animation companies such as Triggerfish, major studios such as Cape Town Film Studios and equipment companies including Panavision and Rental and Workflows.