Great news! There are now
more funds to provide relief for workers in South Africa’s Film & TV
industry with Netflix’s donation of a further R7,5 million to the Covid-19
Relief Fund. The fund was established in 2020 in collaboration with the South
African Screen Federation (SASFED) and supported by the Independent Producers
Organisation (IPO).
In March 2020, Netflix announced a $100M global Hardship Fund to help
the hardest-hit workers in the creative community across the world affected by
the pandemic, which has since been increased to $150M. As part of this initiative,
the global streaming company
contributed R8,3 million in July 2020, which was administered by Tshikululu to
below-the-line workers in the South African film and television industry whose
livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were thousands of
applications received from all over the country, with one-time benefits of R15
000 granted to more than 500 eligible below-the-line workers until the fund was
depleted. The additional R7,5 million will ensure that more workers get the
support they need and to make the process more efficient, we will prioritise
eligible applicants who had already applied in 2020 and were unsuccessful
due to depleted/lack of funds. Tshikululu will reach out to the eligible
applicants via email in the coming days to request updated compliance
documentation.
Please note: This
fund is separate from - but will exist alongside - the recently-announced South
African Screen Sector Support Fund (SASSSF) which will also provide much-needed relief to
South Africa's creative industry.
FAQs:
What does this mean for the film & TV industry?
With the recent additional
donation by Netflix, there’s now an opportunity for more below-the-line workers
to be eligible to receive a grant - if they choose to be reconsidered and
provide the requested updated compliance documentation.
Who is eligible for this second round of funds?
The funds are only
available to applicants who submitted their applications for the 2020 relief
fund and were eligible for funding (after the screening and evaluation process)
but, due to funding limitations, were unable to receive support. The additional
donation means there’s now an opportunity for them to be eligible to receive a
grant if they choose to be reconsidered and provide the requested updated
compliance documentation.
I applied in the first
round in 2020; do I automatically qualify for funding?
No. The fund will be available for eligible applications from
2020 who were unsuccessful because of fund limitation however, the applicant
will have to choose to be reconsidered and provide the requested updated
compliance documentation in order to qualify for the funding.
How will applicants know if they’re in consideration for this
fund?
A system-generated email
from Tshikululu will be sent to them with instructions on how to renew their
application for the fund, should they wish to. They will also need to update
their personal information on the link provided and upload the required supporting
documents (mainly, a three months bank statements).
What other documents are required?
Tshikululu is required by
the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (38 of 2001, as amended) (the FIC Act) to
vet beneficiaries. As part of this process you will be requested to submitted:
- Identification
document (ID) in format of a certified copy of a national ID and/or a
valid passport, and/or a valid refugee or asylum seeker permit;
- Proof
of residential address in the format of a utility or retail bill, a lease
agreement, a sworn affidavit, or an affidavit from the landlord;
How long do eligible applicants have to make a decision to be
considered?
Tshikululu will give
applicants a period of two weeks to update their details before closing
the portal. This will ensure that those who decline the opportunity can make
way for other eligible applicants to be considered for the fund.
Will I get the funding once I’ve submitted my updated
documents?
No, submitting all
application documents does not guarantee funding. Documents are to help verify
that you’re still eligible for the fund.
