Permits FAQ’s

Format

THE V&A offers a one-stop-shop service for obtaining permissions within the V&A precinct. This means that the production company completes a single application form, and the V&A will facilitate all necessary permissions from within the site. Applications must be received during V&A Waterfront office hours i.e.: Monday to Friday 08h00 to 17h00 and are available on the V&A Waterfront website on www.waterfront.co.za.

Productions shooting in tenanted space will require additional permits from the relevant tenant; the V&A can facilitate access to the correct contact people as required.

 

Please contact Penny Randall on +27 21 408 7632, alternatively +27 82 450 5999 or via email on prandall@waterfront.co.za​​ for any information, contacts or permits

Operations

Filming / photographic hours in the various areas of the site are generally as follows:

  • Mall – Interiors (only allowed between 10pm and 8am)
  • Mall – Exterior Sites (between 6am to 11pm)
  • Harbour / Marina (only on quaysides with yachts/boats in the background) (8am to 10pm)

These times include the time required for the arrival and departure of crew and as well as the setting up and striking of sets and equipment. Production vehicles may not arrive earlier than the permitted time.

The permit application process

Potential applicants are encouraged to open dialogue with the V&A at a pre-application stage, to determine what may or may not be possible within the complex. This early dialogue promotes a clear understanding of each party’s needs and expectations, whilst giving the V&A an opportunity to outline the time frames, approvals, consultations etc. required.

Venues

The Waterfront Film Studios occupies the hub at the gateway to the V & A Waterfront.  A joint venture partnership between LaserNet, Blade Works, Cut & Paste and FuseFX, the Waterfront Film Studios strategy is to develop technology services for the film and TV industry, and to create a first world technological facility that can attract international productions to South Africa.

For filmmakers, the site already includes 3 sound stages and future expansion will take Stage 3 from 400sqm to 1000sqm. Additionally a new Stage 4 will be built, also at 1000sqm, with an increased roof height to around 16 metres to accommodate double volume sets. Furthermore, a fifth stage is also in the planning, creating a unique production hub within easy reach of the city centre.

The Waterfront Film Studios is also set to expand post production significantly, growing the VFX offering and the high-end long-form post production environment. The Studios have already added VFX and Pre-visualisation tools like LiDAR and cyber scanners, as well as DIT and content management facilities and high storage arrays for managing 2k to 6k shoots.

The Waterfront Film Studios also offers comprehensive services to the restoration side of the business. The old Film Lab is already being used for cleaning and preparation of print and negative stock for the restoration process and the centre has also added an additional four language dubbing suites to complete the restoration offering. The suites are currently dubbing 100 episodes of Hindi content into English each month.

Working with the V&A management, the Waterfront Film Studios have also taken over a number of properties in the surrounding Waterfront area, including a range of production offices, which will expand the studio’s offering to the industry in the near future. Future expansion also includes adding various post production and VFX tools as well as an extensive revamp of audio facilities and adding an ATMOS studio and viewing environment.

The Waterfront Film Studios recently wrapped on The Giver, and the first season of the SyFy produced TV series Dominion, which is an adaptation of the 2010 supernatural movie, Legion.

For more information, please contact:

Filming in the V&A Waterfront

A city within a city, the V&A Waterfront is a 123-hectare mixed-use privately owned- and managed- precinct in the heart of Cape Town. Located around the oldest harbour in South Africa, the V&A includes:

  • Over 450 shops, markets and stalls in a variety of settings
  • 10 top quality hotels offering almost 1500 beds
  • More than 80 restaurants and cafes
  • Flexible, Commercial office space for production
  • A Film Studio with 3 sound stages, full post production, VFX and Animation facilities, Audio Post Studios, Language dubbing
  • 22 Historical landmarks
  • A working harbour
  • Helipads
  • Beachfront Restaurant
  • Residential complexes
  • Art Galleries, Theatres and Museums.

The V&A therefore offers almost unlimited potential for filmmakers for use as a range of dramatic sets, backdrops and locations, for production offices and base camps, for the entertainment and accommodation of crew and talent, and for the provision of a whole range of goods and services for the industry – all within one easy-to-reach complex.

19 269 people work within the V&A and footfall is measured on the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre alone and these numbers indicate that between 1.7 and 2.5 million people visit the shopping centre every month. The V&A itself has also contributed R259.1 billion to the South African economy over the last twelve years.

This document therefore serves to balance the needs of residents, businesses and visitors with the goal of “film / photographic friendliness”, thereby encouraging the film and photographic sector to make even greater use of the V&A’s facilities and services. Film and photographic friendliness includes the development of:

  • Processes that allow and encourage film or photographic maker access to V&A locations and facilities;
  • Processes that clarify and make transparent all decision-making processes, including the allocation of fees.
  • Adoption of work processes, practices and protocols that contribute to film and photographic friendliness, including commitment to providing value-for-money and competitive rates;
  • A supporting focus on creating jobs and providing opportunities to tenant businesses to participate in the sector
  • Commitment to ethical and responsible filmmaking with minimum impacts; and
  • Protection of and respect for V&A locations, including environmental, cultural and social.

Apply for Permit

General Enquiries

Penny Randall
+27 21 408 7632 +27 82 450 5999 prandall@waterfront.co.za