Film Coalition Declares Third Breakdown in Talks
The Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition has appealed to the Presidency and announced a month of nationwide protests over the stalled film incentive scheme.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Film — General
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The Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition, which represents eighteen major industry bodies, declared a third breakdown in negotiations with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The coalition has appealed to the Presidency for urgent intervention and announced nationwide protest action from 28 January to 27 February 2027.
Why it matters
The dispute concerns the administration of the Film and Television Production Incentive scheme, which the coalition says the DTIC has failed to honour despite a framework signed in August 2026. Without a functional incentive scheme, the coalition warns that thousands of local film workers risk being left without work.
The coalition's eighteen member bodies have now seen three collapsed negotiation rounds with the DTIC, following two years since industry first picketed over the incentive scheme. The coalition's planned protest action runs for one month, but the DTIC's response to the dispute remains unreported.
The players
Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition
A coalition of eighteen major South African film and television industry bodies campaigning over the incentive scheme.
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
The South African government department responsible for administering the Film and Television Production Incentive scheme.
Parks Tau
South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, to whom the coalition's letters went unanswered.
The details
The coalition said crucial deadlines were missed, including a target to complete revised operational guidelines, and that letters sent to Minister Parks Tau went unanswered. It has called for the removal of Ms Nelly Molokoane as head of the film and television incentive unit and says film workers in Cape Town and Gauteng will join the protests.
Timeline
August 2026: The DTIC signed a framework and Heads of Agreement to address application backlogs.
3 November 2026: The coalition declared a third breakdown in negotiations.
28 January 2027: Nationwide protest action begins.
27 February 2027: Nationwide protest action ends.
Big Picture
The dispute centres on the Film and Television Production Incentive scheme, whose administration the coalition says has repeatedly failed to match signed agreements. The stalemate now threatens the scheme's viability for the South African film sector as a whole.
Viewers may see delays in local film and television productions if the incentive scheme remains unresolved, as production activity depends on the funding. The protests planned for February 2027 could also affect filming and access to local productions in Cape Town and Gauteng.
The takeaway
The dispute shows how a stalled incentive scheme can leave a film industry's workers waiting despite signed agreements. Readers following South African film policy should watch whether the DTIC responds before the planned protests begin.
What happens next
Nationwide protest action by the coalition is scheduled to run from 28 January to 27 February 2027.
Further reading
Explore more film industry coverage for context on South Africa's production sector.
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