In 1915, the first motion picture studio on the African continent – African Film Productions Ltd – was established by business tycoon Isidore W Schlesinger in Killarney, Johannesburg. Nigeria saw its first film in the late 19th century, and the cinema of Nigeria, referred to informally as Nollywood, started in the early 1990s when filmmakers, who were unable to access traditional film studios, turned to video production. As of 2013, it has been rated as the third-most valuable film industry in the world, behind Hollywood in the US and India’s Bollywood, based on worth and revenue generated, and is recognised as the world’s second-largest film industry in terms of volume, behind Bollywood and beating out Hollywood.

The film industry in Africa is thriving in many regions and helping drive economic growth, as well as providing local entertainment and creating jobs.

Since 2009, there has been a notable increase in the number of international studios employing local talent and shooting films in South African cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg. According to Sunday World, ‘since November 2023 to June 2024, foreign-owned film production houses have brought in investment totalling ZAR2.53 billion, with projections exceeding ZAR5 billion by October this year’. The financial benefits extend to other sectors too, such as hospitality, tourism and travel, as highlighted by Bobby Amm, CEO of the Commercial Producers Association South Africa.

‘Film production has a strong multiplier effect. It has been estimated that for every rand spent on film production in South Africa, an additional ZAR2.50 is generated in the local economy,’ Amm told Sunday World.

Cape Town and the Western Cape have been particularly popular locations, with crews setting up for shoots becoming a familiar sight, especially in Cape Town’s CBD. According to the Cape Town Central City Improvement District, the city’s permit office reported that 168 large feature films were shot in Cape Town between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024, almost double the number from the previous year. ‘What we are seeing over the past couple of years is that filming is increasingly becoming an all-year business, and this is good for the industry and Cape Town. It is critical for an industry that contributes billions to the economy and employs over 30 000 people,’ said mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.

The Nigerian film industry has also become a major contributor to the country’s economy, creating employment opportunities, as well as generating revenue through the production, distribution and exhibition of films.

‘Nollywood supports a vast workforce, employing over 300 000 people directly

and up to a million indirectly, making it one of the largest employers in Nigeria,’ Forbes Africa reports.

A November 2023 report from the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive) says the sector has grown the production and distribution of films from 1 800 films worth US$5.1 billion in 2013 to 2 500 films worth US$6.4 billion in 2023. The industry is projected to reach an estimated US$14.82 billion revenue in 2025. The growth and benefits aren’t only reflected in monetary value, as they also extend to the development of local talent and socioeconomic value.

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy refers to the country’s film industry as ‘a vibrant, dynamic and thriving element of the creative industry that has become a significant cultural and economic force in Africa and has gained international recognition for its unique storytelling and production quality’.

However, the economic potential of the industry remains largely untapped, and it has not been without its challenges, with the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular, causing significant disruptions.

A recent report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) notes that ‘despite the clearly blossoming African film and audio-visual sector, and strong interest from young people to get involved in the industry’, there is ‘a major gap in educational infrastructure across the continent. Few countries have public institutions that offer post-secondary degree or diploma programmes dedicated to film’.

‘The lack of proper film training opportunities limits the ability of African professionals to develop and deliver ambitious creative projects and stifles the growth of the industry as a whole,’ it says.

Several initiatives have been established in an attempt to address the issues, including the Realness Institute, a film development organisation based in South Africa, which has partnered with Netflix to launch an Episodic Lab programme for writers from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

In addition, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), established in 2018, has four academies based in Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa.

The initiative offers its 12-month filmmaking training programme in 14 countries across Africa, which includes an internship, masterclasses for industry professionals and a pan-African digital networking portal for creatives.

Partnerships with organisations such as the New York Film Academy and Lights, Camera and Diaspora! also provide students with opportunities for training, mentorship and job-sharing.

Over the past nine years, 467 filmmakers have been trained by MTF, and its initiative Funding for the Creative Industry Masterclass has trained more than 300 filmmakers in securing project funding.

The digital revolution is also playing a major role in making film production more accessible and affordable.

Unesco’s study calls it ‘the real game changer for the African film and audiovisual industry’. The organisation describes how ‘technology, affordable digital film equipment and the new ability to distribute but also monetise content directly to consumers via online platforms (from YouTube, other social media and Netflix to local mobile video services) is giving rise to a new economy for African content creators which bypasses traditional gatekeepers’.

To enhance access to production services in Africa’s film and entertainment industry, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently announced an investment into Filmmakers Mart (FMM), Africa’s first integrated digital production platform.

FMM connects creatives to essential production services, including location scouting and permit acquisition through a centralised system. IFC’s investment will support FMM to expand from its markets in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and South Africa into new markets, and will fund the development of new platform features and training programmes.

This marks IFC’s first investment in Nigeria’s audiovisual sector and its first co-investment with Sony Innovation Fund Africa, which will provide FMM with access to its global network and industry expertise in content distribution.

‘Africa’s film and entertainment sector is brimming with talent, but talent alone is not enough. It needs the right tools, platforms and investment to thrive,’ says Dahlia Khalifa, IFC regional director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa.

Major corporations are recognising the potential of the market in Africa and have shown that they are willing to invest and play a role in the increase of its reach.

A recent African Leadership magazine article breaks down how Netflix, in a socioeconomic report, highlighted its progress in sub-Saharan Africa since 2016. According to the report, the company invested US$175 million in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya from 2016 to 2022, with South Africa receiving the largest portion – approximately 71%.

The article added that the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed US$1 billion to the African Film Fund to support the industry.

At the 2024 Durban FilmMart, Netflix’s director of content for Africa, Dorothy Ghettuba mapped out the company’s strategy for the continent, stressing how productions need to appeal to local audiences first before they are streamed to broader audiences.

‘We want to entertain the world. We want to tell them African stories,’ she said. ‘But our focus first has got to be local, and then it goes global. We don’t aim for global hits.’ Ghettuba stressed that the company is taking a ‘step by step’ approach as it continues its African expansion. ‘We’re in South Africa; that’s the main focus for us. We are looking at Nigeria as well. And then, for the rest of Africa, it’s very optimistic… The idea for us is to keep on growing.’

The stage has been set for the industry to play a leading role and continue to grow across the continent, and beyond.

By Philippa Byron
Image: Gallo/Getty Images