The City of Cape Town has approved a lease agreement for a City-owned property in Paardevlei, Somerset West, paving the way for the construction of a R900 million film set. This development, led by Cape Point Film Studios (CPFS), is expected to propel Cape Town’s creative economy.
The announcement was made by South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party on its Instagram account. It said in the post: “The DA-led City of Cape Town has approved a lease agreement for a City-owned property in Somerset West, paving the way for a R900 million film set development. This game-changing project will boost Cape Town’s creative economy, unlock opportunities for local and international productions, drive innovation, create hundreds of jobs, and inject nearly a billion rand into the local economy.”
The lease agreement was finalised after a site visit by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth. According to Vos, this development will unlock substantial opportunities for local and international production companies, driving economic growth, fostering innovation, creating jobs, and building skills.
CPFS plans to convert existing buildings on the site into a functional film studio facility that meets international standards. The company also intends to develop a sea and underwater sound stage production precinct once the initial development is completed.
Henry F Herring, Director of CPFS, expressed his gratitude to the City of Cape Town for supporting the project: “We thank the City of Cape Town for taking this journey with us because, as practitioners in the film industry, we know first-hand how fast the content and film-making industry is developing.
“The need for more strategic interventions, such as world-class sound stages to service this growth, not only helps filmmakers tell their stories, but also contributes substantially to the sustainable expansion of the film sector with its 1:4 multiplier effect to its value chain, all the while creating more jobs.”
He added: “We believe that Cape Point Film Studios will respond meaningfully to these needs, and once again position our country and continent as an attractive filmmaking destination.”
According to Alderman Vos, the creative economy is one of the top-performing sectors in the city, with the cultural and creative industries contributing R161 billion to the country’s gross domestic product in 2020. “This project will not only enhance Cape Town’s status as a leading creative hub but also solidify its position as a destination of choice for home-grown and global productions,” he said.
