Cape Town’s film and hospitality sectors are expected to receive a significant boost following the introduction of new national visa reforms aimed at attracting international film and events productions. This comes off the back of the Department of Home Affairs having recently announced two new digital visa categories, expected to unlock billions for South Africa’s creative economy.
With major productions like Tomb Raider, One Piece, and Avengers: Age of Ultron already filmed in the city, Cape Town’s growing appeal as a filming destination has generated substantial economic spinoffs for the CBD’s hospitality industry — a trend set to accelerate under the new streamlined visa regime.
Progressive policies
“These reforms will remove long-standing barriers and open the door for even greater investment into Cape Town’s creative economy — with knock-on benefits for local hospitality, retail, and small businesses,” says Grant Elliott, Chief Operating Officer of Thibault Investments and Deputy Chairperson of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID).
Elliot says the City’s initiatives, combined with progressive visa policies such as the digital nomad visa – allowing applicants to live and work remotely in South Africa for a period of 36 months – is likely to deepen Cape Town’s status as a year-round destination for creatives.
“We are seeing in our short-term stay aparthotels, that Cape Town is becoming a year-round destination for visitors. We’ve already seen a flattening of the traditional seasonal dips, particularly in winter months like May to August, where our numbers are significantly higher than in the previous season.”
Billions for Cape Town’s film industry
Foreign investment in Cape Town’s film production industry estimated to break through the R5-billion barrier by October this year. According to the City of Cape Town’s Film Permits Office, a total of 550 production shoots took place in the Cape Town CBD from 1 January to 26 May 2025. These included commercials, documentaries, feature films micro shoots, music videos, student projects, TV films and productions and TV series. Of these, 219 were “large and very large” commercial shoots, 106 were micro shoots, 22 were TV series, and 14 were feature films.
Film Permits Office stats also reveal that more than R2.5 billion in foreign production investment was secured between November 2023 and June 2024. But it’s not just the studios, production houses, and talent agencies feeling the impact.
“We’ve had production teams stay for one to two weeks at a time, sometimes longer, especially when filming in nearby studios. It’s not just a one-day affair — their extended stays create consistent demand for accommodation and other services. We are also seeing demand for office space for film shoots on hourly, daily and yearly rental demand for various productions,” says Eliott, adding that filming enquiries have come from the Middle East as well as India.
Statistics from the Cape Town Film Permits Office support Elliott’s evidence. From 1 November 2023 to 30 June 2024, film crews booked over 59 000 bed nights in Cape Town, spending nearly R148 million. These were not typical tourists — film personnel often stayed for weeks or even months, resulting in high-value bookings for hotels, guesthouses, and aparthotels. The impact extended beyond lodging to include spending on restaurants, shops, bars, laundry services, and transport.
Boost for the local economy
For every Rand spent on film production, an additional R2.50 is generated in the local economy. In addition, the Western Cape produces roughly 80 % of foreign funded film projects in South Africa.
From November 2023 to June 2024, a total of 26 573 jobs were created for freelance crew and performers. In the 2023/2024 financial year, the Cape Town Film Permit Office issued 4 757 permits –22 % more than the previous year.
Elliott praises the City of Cape Town which actively promotes the city and outlying areas as a filming destination. The newly established Cape Town Film Fund recently awarded grants to seven productions aimed at showcasing the city’s landscapes and diverse narratives — part of a broader strategy to enhance the creative economy and foster local talent. In addition, Cape Town has an easy-to-use platform for applying for permits and accessing city resources, whether it’s a micro-shoot or a full-scale production with 60+ cast and crew.
In addition, in a bid to lure more filmmakers to the area, the City of Cape Town put a freeze on filming-permit fees for the fourth year running as well as free metro police support for open-air shoots.
Contribution to economic growth
Elliot believes that the city is recognising the industry’s contribution to economic growth, and that “Cape Town’s growing appeal as a filming destination is also thanks to the work of organisations such as the CCID, which is tasked with keeping the city clean and beautiful”.
The CCID works in partnership with the City of Cape Town to provide security and cleaning services, amongst others, to maintain and manage the inner city – which receives the most film permit applications of all Cape Town locations.
“Cape Town has all the right ingredients — from stunning locations and skilled talent to a responsive city administration and vibrant hospitality scene. We’re not just hosting film productions; we’re building an ecosystem that supports sustainable economic growth and positions the city as a world-class creative hub,” concludes Elliott.
In a nutshell
Digital visa – New visa reforms bolster Cape Town film industry
Picture: Unsplash.