Wesgro now the Western Cape’s Film Destination Marketing Agency | Western Cape Government

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Wesgro now the Western Cape’s Film Destination Marketing Agency

5 December 2012

On Wednesday, 5 December 2012, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, announced that promoting Cape Town and the Western Cape as a film destination is part of Wesgro's mandate.

Wesgro is the official Destination Marketing, Investment and Trade Promotion Agency for the Western Cape.

Addressing stakeholders in the Western Cape’s film industry today, Minister Winde said: “Our tax envelope is shrinking and our government has to do more with less. Wesgro already has the responsibility of marketing the Western Cape as tourism, investment and trade destination, adding the marketing of the Western Cape’s entire film industry to the portfolio will mean that we have a streamlined and coordinated marketing strategy with which to approach local and international markets. Wesgro has already started implementing plans to ensure that in the 2012/13 financial year, film trade and investment to the value of at least R1 billion will be leveraged.”

For the 2013/2014 financial year, marketing of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a film destination by Wesgro will include:

• Aggressively marketing the Western Cape as a film destination, with a focus on film trade promotion strategy to encourage as many international block-busters and commercials to be filmed in the Western Cape.
• Facilitating access to national film rebates.
• Supporting commercial orientation of existing film makers.
• Exploring potential of developing local content film making.
• Developing local film audiences.
• Trade and investment missions in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry.
• Development of a film market within the provincial film festivals.
• Focused engagement with Cape Town Film Studios for investment purposes in the long film and TV productions.
• Hosting regular engagements with industry on key issues for the Western Cape in collaboration with the City of Cape Town, the Media, Information and Communications Technology SETA (MICT SETA), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department of Trade and Industry.

“South Africa's entertainment industry is valued at around R7.4-billion, with film and television generating more than R5.8-billion in economic activity each year. In the Western Cape, the estimated turnover contributed to the tourism industry is over R23.2 million per annum. I am confident that Wesgro will draw even more investment and grow the economic and jobs creation potential of the sector.” Minister Winde added.

Since 2010, various film production have created thousands of jobs opportunities in the Western Cape:

• Judge Dredd - 592
• Chronicles - 1153
• Safehouse - 5274
• Labyrinth - 1780
• Great British Story - 931
• The Borrowers - 428
• History of the World - 1161
• Flight of the Stocks - 1071
• Young Leonardo - 669
• Strike Back 11 - 1161
• How we invented the world - 198

Media Enquiries: 

Phumzile Van Damme
Spokesperson for Minister Winde
Cell: 082 378 2235