Cape Dreams News from in and around the Cape
HERMAN GIBBS
27 October 2025 – Discover how the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority (KZN TAFA) is empowering local filmmakers through targeted support, mentorship, and innovative funding initiatives, while navigating the challenges posed by digital technology. Cape Dreams editor Herman Gibbs interviewed Jackie Motsepe (pictured), chief operations officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority. The affable Motsepe is a film and TV industry strategist passionate about building sustainable, transformative ecosystems for creatives and driving integrated growth across the film and tourism sectors.
1. What are the challenges facing local filmmakers? Has the rise of digital technology been a blessing or an impediment?
KwaZulu-Natal’s filmmakers are some of the most imaginative in the country. Yet, they continue to face key challenges — from limited access to finance and professional networks to unequal exposure between urban and rural areas. Many promising filmmakers from districts such as uThukela, Zululand and Amajuba have powerful stories to tell, but often lack the technical support and market access to bring those stories to the screen.
Digital technology has been both an opportunity and a test. It has opened doors for independent creators to produce and distribute their work more affordably, but it has also made visibility and monetisation more complex. That is why KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film plays a catalytic role through targeted support mechanisms such as the KZN Film Fund, which provides development and production grants to both emerging and established filmmakers. This fund helps bridge the gap between creative vision and viable production — ensuring that local talent can compete on a national and international stage. Our goal is not only to fund films, but to build sustainable film enterprises that stimulate local economies and promote KZN as a filming destination of choice.
2. How much emphasis is placed on emerging talent? What processes are in place for identifying and fostering new talent — and how does that link to your own journey of mentoring others?
Emerging talent is the lifeblood of KwaZulu-Natal’s creative economy. Every initiative we champion is anchored in opening doors for new entrants — from our Markets and Festivals Support Programme and 1KZN Made-for-TV Educational Series, to the KZN Film Fund, which dedicates a substantial portion of its budget to first-time filmmakers.
We scout talent through district-level festivals, partnerships with tertiary institutions, and open public calls that reach even the most remote parts of the province. Once identified, we invest in their growth through structured mentorship, professional training, and on-set exposure. This holistic approach ensures that emerging filmmakers are not just producing one-off projects but are developing long-term creative careers.
Mentorship is essential to our vision. I was shaped by leaders who valued nurturing others, and I’ve made it a priority to carry that ethos forward. We aim to cultivate a generation of KZN filmmakers who are technically skilled, creatively fearless, and confident to take their stories to global platforms.
3. How did the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority decide on its model? KZN has competitive advantages, including being the second-most populous province, excellent weather, and unique travel destinations. Has it looked at case studies from countries like the USA or Germany?
The belief that tourism and film are not separate industries but two sides of the same creative economy. That belief shaped our model. Every film made here becomes a visual postcard for KwaZulu-Natal — from the Drakensberg peaks to the Durban beachfront, from township streets to sugarcane fields. Film inspires travel, and travel inspires storytelling.
In shaping our structure, we did benchmark global best practice — including models from the USA, Germany, and New Zealand — but we designed ours to meet KwaZulu-Natal’s own development priorities. The KZN Film Fund is a cornerstone of that model, offering a transparent and accessible mechanism for supporting local productions while stimulating tourism and SMME participation in the film value chain.
Our integrated approach ensures that economic benefits ripple beyond the screen — creating jobs, encouraging local spend, and positioning KZN as a globally competitive, proudly South African hub for storytelling and destination excellence.
Disclosure: Herman Gibbs is staying at the award-winning Ghost Mountain Inn in Mkuze, Hluhluwe, as a guest of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Tourism and Film Authority.