UK and South Africa in TV filming deal
The UK has agreed on a TV filming treaty with South Africa that will enable productions from each country to qualify for each other’s television tax credit support.
South Africa offers a production rebate for TV shoots, while the UK offers High-End Television Tax Relief, as well as support for animations and children’s TV.
Since the launch of the High-End Television Tax Relief in 2013, the UK’s international appeal as a TV filming location has soared.
Kiefer Sutherland’s action drama 24: Live Another Day (pictured) was one of the first shoots to use the support, with the production set and filmed in London for the first time.
Overall, the TV tax credit helped boost UK spending figures by 20% in 2015, according to figures from the BFI. High-profile international television shoots included The Night Manager, Game of Thrones and Outlander.
“The inclusion of television in the existing, successful film co-production treaty represents exciting new opportunities for growth and collaboration between the UK and South Africa and will be of great mutual benefit to both countries,” said Amanda Nevill, head of the BFI.
“There is well-established collaboration between UK and South African TV production companies,” said Max Rumney, deputy chief executive of PACT.
“It’s important to the independent production sector that these relationships are strengthened and formalised, and PACT’s members look forward to creating more co-production opportunities with our South African counterparts.”
The UK’s TV production deal with South Africa complements a pre-existing film agreement which in recent years has supported features like the comic book reimagining Dredd and Western drama The Salvation, both of which were UK/South Africa co-productions made in South Africa.
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