South Africa's DTIC Says It Has Cleared Film Rebate Backlog
The department has paid off most of a 2 billion rand backlog and secured 1.5 billion rand in funding for the rebate through 2029, an official said at the Durban FilmMart.
South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has cleared most of a nearly 2 billion rand ($121 million) backlog in unpaid film and television rebate claims and secured funding for the incentive through 2029, according to Variety. Nelly Molokoane, the DTIC's director of film and television production, told the Durban FilmMart that the department is "back in business."
The DTIC is still working through a remaining backlog of rebate applications and claims that date back to 2024.
About 1.5 billion rand ($91 million) has been allocated to fund the rebate through 2029.
Producers Await Clarity on the Program's Future
South African producers remain uncertain whether the incentive will continue as a cash rebate, become a tax credit scheme, or take another form.
The rebate program had been paralyzed for more than two years, with the DTIC's 25% cash rebate ceasing to function and claims going unpaid since 2024. Industry bodies, including the Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition, pressed the government during months of political pressure, and Molokoane had faced calls for her resignation from industry groups.
The exhibition sector was already struggling, global streaming networks scaled back local investment, and domestic broadcasters such as the SABC could not keep the industry afloat on their own.
Quick answers
How much of the South African film rebate backlog has been paid?
The DTIC has paid off most of a nearly 2 billion rand ($121 million) backlog in unpaid rebate claims, though it is still working through applications and claims dating back to 2024.
How much funding has been allocated to the rebate?
About 1.5 billion rand ($91 million) has been allocated to fund the rebate through 2029.
Will the South African film rebate continue as a cash rebate?
Producers remain uncertain whether the incentive program will continue as a cash rebate, become a tax credit scheme, or take another form.