Drakenstein Municipality signs agreement to promote film and media sector

Councillor Conrad Poole, executive mayor of Drakenstein, , said:

“We welcome this agreement as it gives us the opportunity to display the natural scenic beauty, age-old wine lands and friendly, diverse community of Drakenstein – where vintage is still a way of life – to local and international audiences. As a city of excellence, we believe Drakenstein’s close proximity to Cape Town, easy access, excellent infrastructure and historical significance (former President Nelson Mandela took his first footsteps of freedom here in 1990) make it a distinctive film, media and gaming industry asset.”

The 4th Industrial Revolution content creation space

“A number of films have already made use of the attractive landscapes on offer in the Drakenstein Municipality, and we hope to further promote capacity building in the 4th Industrial Revolution content creation space, including animation and gaming. Drakenstein is the second municipality to enter into a film and media promotion agreement with Wesgro, showcasing the successes of Wesgro’s annual Municipal engagement.”

The objectives of the agreement are to help the municipality become film friendly, promote and market the region’s unique selling points and educate government on the full value chain of the film, media and gaming sector in order to drive growth in the municipality.

With the work scheduled to commence immediately, Wesgro and the Drakenstein Municipality are to begin scouting for key municipal and iconic locations that are attractive and available to be utilised as film locations. Part of the process is to collate data on the hospitality offering and other key supporting services that operate within the municipality in order to further stimulate the economic growth of the sector.

A magnitude of possibilities

The location data and key information identified in the municipality will be collated and included in the Cape Town and Western Cape Creative Locations e-book – distributed online and in print format at Wesgro and industry’s key engagements globally.

As part of the scope, Wesgro and Drakenstein Municipality are to co-host advisory workshops with relevant departments in the municipality and the tourism office.

As part of the process, Wesgro will host a regional locations familiarisation tour to further promote the municipality.

Welcoming the signing of the agreement, Monica Rorvik, Wesgro’s head of film and media promotion and certified African film commissioner, commented:

“We are beyond thrilled to be signing this agreement with Drakenstein and hope that more municipalities in the province will work with us in this way. Film, media and gaming present a magnitude of possibilities for a district - boosting the economy across sectors and most importantly, facilitating much-needed employment opportunities.”