Brandon Auret on Why South African Film Needs “Businessmen,” Not Just Filmmakers

Brandon Auret has become a familiar face in science fiction and action films, known for roles in movies like District 9 and Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. He brings a unique understanding to the industry, having worked as an international actor and also as a co-owner of a film production company. This experience gives him insight into both the creative and financial sides of filmmaking. This discussion explores the challenges facing South African cinema and what needs to change to ensure its success.

I watched your recent video on LinkedIn talking about the new initiative, and I wanted to know if you can share the story behind this…

I was reading Richard Branson’s book, and he had a point that really changed how I see show business. It’s a world built on who you know, but ultimately, it’s investors and business people who make things happen. The key is to help those business-minded individuals understand the creative side, because performers don’t always grasp the business side of things. You need to bridge that gap and get everyone on the same page.

I started talking to a woman named Carrie, the owner of a bonding company called Gemini. We just began discussing her business and how it operates in detail.

She’s teamed up with a group of people to organize a year-long fundraising campaign. We’ve been promised that any money we raise will be matched, which is really encouraging because it should give us the funds we need to launch our project.

How is the fund structured regarding ownership?

We’ll put together a team to oversee the script and manage production, including accountants, to ensure all funds are properly tracked. We’re prepared to finance the film, and we’re open to discussing ownership – perhaps starting with you retaining 50% or 75%, but ideally we’d like to own 100% if possible. Even if we don’t own the whole film, we’d secure a percentage of its earnings for the film’s entire lifespan after our investment is recouped, while you still retain the rights. If the movie is successful, we’d simply take a percentage of the profits, reinvest that money back into the fund, and use it to finance future projects.

So how does it work, is it something that you’re designing so that people will come to you with ideas to get funding?

Absolutely! We’ve already secured investors. If we find an excellent script and get it distributed, we could sell your work for anywhere between $200,000 and $1.8 million.

We’ll take our fee, and here’s how you’ll receive payments throughout the process. If you secure the necessary paperwork and get the guarantee approved, we’ll provide upfront funding and cover any initial losses. In return, we’ll then take a percentage of the final amount.

Where do you think government’s funding initiatives have failed?

I’m unable to explain what’s going wrong because I don’t know where the problem lies. It seems like someone has been misusing the system, and I suspect money is being stolen. I’ve received numerous emails from people who are being asked to prove they have funds in their accounts.

What is your stance on executive fees in funding?

I promised my team I’d fight against the practice of immediately taking 10% off a film’s budget – it’s ridiculous. Taking 10% of a R36 million movie, meaning only R3.6 million is available for production? That money should be reinvested directly into the film – it could fund another day of stunts or a full week of shooting. The real profit comes later, if the film is successful. That’s when executives earn their share – a substantial return on investment, ideally.

You mentioned issues with “target markets” regarding funding…

I often hear from people in the industry that while they like my films, they don’t think they’ll appeal to their target audience – the affluent Black middle class. It seems odd to me, because the films already made for that audience are mostly English-language films. It leads me to believe the issue isn’t the content, but simply that my films don’t feature actors with a certain skin tone. If that’s the case, I’m happy to pursue my own path and create independently.

What is the economic reality of the current grants?

We’re working with extremely limited funds – only R1.8 million from the DTIC. It’s a small budget for a film, especially considering KwaZulu-Natal is offering similar amounts. We anticipate needing to raise another R1.2 to R1.4 million to cover costs, either before or during production. While this total amount could get us far, it still won’t be enough to fully complete the film.

What is the potential impact of film funding on the local economy?

There’s an idea that every Rand spent in a community actually has four times the impact. This is because the money doesn’t just stay with the initial recipient – it circulates as that person spends it on their own needs, benefiting their family, local businesses, and so on, effectively giving everyone a little boost.

Just how big is our industry?

Our industry employs a significant number of people – around 16,000 to 17,000 nationwide. And it contributes roughly R1.8 billion to the South African economy.

What would you say is an area where our weakness is as a film industry?

The way movies are released is changing. Filmmakers are increasingly choosing to distribute their own work, rather than relying on traditional distributors. The issue is that, even with wide distribution, some filmmakers haven’t been paid what they’re owed, as tracking revenue across many platforms proves difficult.

You mentioned vertical films and passive income…

As a movie buff, I’m really excited about this! Basically, they’re letting everyone share in the profits. So, if your project – that short film, web series, whatever you’re creating – starts earning money, you’ll get a cut. It’s a fantastic way to build some passive income from something you’re passionate about.

2025-12-11 12:43