South Africa

With incredibly diverse filming locations, South Africa is one of the most loved destinations for the filmmakers for various reasons. But, given the expansive size of the country and several different regions, taking the help of experienced film fixers could be highly beneficial for you.

We can provide help and guidance with the below:

Costs and financing: Apart from being a visually stunning place to shoot, South Africa is also a cost-effective destination. As there’s a great deal of film infrastructure in place, a local production fixer like Tirumala Productions will assist you in making the most of your budget throughout your shoot.

Crews and talent sourcing: As South Africa has an established film industry, the film production companies are always there for you to help you find directors, photographers, and other professionals, who carry a great experience on international shoots. Apart from this, models, actors and actresses available. Also, there are a number of animal actors available in South Africa. From big game to domestic pets, these animals can be arranged for use in your production should it be necessary.

Translation: English is one of the widely spoken languages throughout South Africa. However, if you wish for a translator, we can arrange this for you.

Travel: There are several international flights serving South Africa daily, along with plenty of domestic flights as well. The well-maintained roads and the infrastructure makes it easy to transport crew and equipment from location to location.

Accommodation is never a problem in South Africa and can get discounts for large parties or longer stays. Whether you prefer hotel accommodation or self-catered, we can help you find something suited to your choice, location, and budget.

Visa entry into South Africa is not an easy process, and hiring a film fixer to assist here can be particularly beneficial. Production staff tends to be divided into two groups – an Oversight Group and a Specialist Group. The Oversight Group consists of production company employees, agencies and technical staff, while models, art actors, and directors tend to be n the Specialist Group.

Set construction and studio sourcing: There are several studios in place in South Africa. But if you need to build a set, local art directors with experience in building the sets can come for your help. The film fixer can also help you with the equipment and the latest technology.

Tax Incentives and credits: Incentives and tax breaks are available to international productions in South Africa, provided certain criteria are met. Click here to find out more.

Safety and travel advisories: While South Africa does have high rates of crime compared to other countries, this does tend to be isolated to a certain extent, and there is ample law enforcement in place. Many international productions film in and return to South Africa without any issues whatsoever, and again, working with a local fixer can help you steer clear of troublesome spots during your stay.

Need further assistance with film production services in South Africa?

Tirumala Productions has an international team of talent that can help you with every aspect of your stay to make sure it is a success.

South Africa has a wide range of popular filming locations, most of them which often act as double for U.S. locations such as Las Vegas and even Washington DC.

There’s only a two-hour time difference from Greenwich Mean Time, which can make it particularly useful for productions that want to film in an exotic location whilst still being able to work in British time zones. Major cities are often popular filming destinations:

Johannesburg – There are many incredible sites in South Africa’s biggest city, including the township of Soweto, a beacon of apartheid history and the former home of Nelson Mandela.

Cape Town – Home to stunning natural beauty and the imposing Table Mountain, Cape Town also provides incredible underwater scenery along the costs with shipwrecks and reefs to discover.

Durban – Situated in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, Durban has rich African and Indian influences, making it a culturally diverse place to film.

Of course, the vast natural landscape provides agricultural scenery too, with everything from cornfields to the Kalahari Desert, forests, vineyards, lakes, and orchards available.

Other popular filming locations include:

Kruger National Park
Robben Island
The Western Cape
Cape of Good Hope
Table Mountain
Ellis Park Stadium (home of the Springboks)

South Africa has lots in the way of production services, and so tends to be the film hub of much of Africa. With that said, there are no post-production labs available, although some Special FX and CGI labs do exist.

Filming in South Africa can be a once in a lifetime experience. To find out more about how Tirumala Productions can help with film permits, casting, location scouting or any other aspect of film and TV commercial production, contact us today.