The Film Factory

What The Film Factory does

The Film Factory is a privately held South African feature film production company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Johannesburg at 8 Sunpark, 178 Smit Street, Fairland. The company develops, funds, and produces Afrikaans-language and broader South African feature films for both local and international audiences, led by founder-producer Danie Bester and partner-producer Dries Scholtz (since 2012). Its portfolio includes more than 25 feature films spanning comedy, drama, romance, action, and children's fantasy, including the Bakgat! trilogy (the first Afrikaans film trilogy), Vir Altyd (the highest-grossing Afrikaans feature film at the South African box office), and Ouma se Slim Kind (South Africa's 2008 Academy Awards foreign language submission).

The company's core product is its film slate, with co-productions executed through a network of South African production houses (Bouwer Bosch Films, Red Letter Day Pictures, Spier Films, 17 Films, Bosbok Ses Films, Dark Matter Studios) and funded through a mix of private investors, government incentives (DTI), and broadcast partners (kykNET/DStv). Distribution runs through Ster-Kinekor Entertainment for theatrical release, kykNET for television broadcast, Vimeo on Demand for streaming and rental, and DVD sales via the company website; international film festivals provide global exposure. Adjacent offerings include product integration and brand partnership services, film investment opportunities marketed to private backers, and the 2017 television series Tips & Trix with Simoné and Francois on kykNET's Groot Ontbyt.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: theatrical box-office share, broadcast licensing, streaming/VOD sales, DVD sales, private investor funding, brand integration fees, and commissioned television production. Pricing is not publicly disclosed at the company level (only cinema ticket pricing for downstream consumers is referenced in source material). The firm operates with 1-10 employees and maintains a sister-company relationship with FiX Post Productions for post-production services. Recognition includes the 2008 Oscar official entry, three Huisgenoot Tempo Most Popular Film awards (2014, 2015, 2017), Best Feature Film at the 2017 Silwerskermfees (Vaselinetjie), and Best International Feature Film at the Edmonton International Film Festival (Vir die Voëls).

Name

The Film Factory

Legal name

The Film Factory

Website

https://thefilmfactory.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Film Factory is a Johannesburg-based, privately held South African film production house founded in 2004 that develops, funds, and produces Afrikaans-language and broader South African feature films, television series, and brand integration content for local and international audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADABAA

Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Film & TV Production (Live-Action)

SECONDARYBPAFAAAF

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Full-Service Advertising Agencies

SECONDARYMPADAEAH

Music & Performance Branded Content (Sessions, Artist/Brand Collabs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Commercial & Branded Video Production

Keywords

• Feature film production
• Television series production
• Film distribution services
• Product placement services
• Film investment funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Theatrical film distribution: Feature films are released theatrically nationwide in South Africa through Ster-Kinekor Entertainment, generating box-office revenue. Notable success: Vir Altyd is the highest-grossing Afrikaans feature film at the South African box office.
2. Private investment funding: Films are partially or fully funded by private investors. The Film Factory markets investment opportunities to private backers, positioning itself as a preferred investment partner in South African film.
3. Product integration and brand partnerships: The company offers product placement and marketing integration within films, providing brand exposure across various marketing platforms while maintaining story integrity and film realism. Multiple brand partners are featured on the product integration page.
4. Streaming / VOD: Films are made available for streaming and download on Vimeo on Demand (VOD), providing a post-theatrical revenue stream. DVDs are also sold via the website.
5. Television series production: The company produces television series (e.g., Tips & Trix with Simoné and Francois for ATKV on kykNET's Groot Ontbyt), generating revenue through commissioned production contracts.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Film Factory is a South African film production company that develops, funds and produces feature films and television series for local and international audiences. It produces films across multiple genres (drama, comedy, romance, action, children's fantasy), distributes them theatrically through Ster-Kinekor, on broadcast television through kykNET/DStv, and on streaming through Vimeo on Demand. The company also sells product integration (brand placement) services to marketing partners and offers film investment opportunities to private investors.

Product overview

The Film Factory is a South African film production company that produces feature films and television content. The company's core offering is its portfolio of feature films across various genres, including the highly successful Bakgat! trilogy, romantic dramas (Vir Altyd, Pad na jou Hart, Ballade vir 'n Enkeling), comedies (Ek Joke Net, Vuil Wasgoed), and family-friendly productions (Meerkat Maantuig, Vaselinetjie). In addition to film production, The Film Factory offers product integration/marketing services for brands, film investment opportunities for private investors, and has produced the television series 'Tips & Trix with Simoné and Francois' for kykNET. The company operates as both a production house and service provider, working with co-production partners including 17 Filmstreet Media, Bouwer Bosch Films, Spier Films, and Red Letter Day Pictures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vergeet My Nie A romantic drama film about a student in Potchefstroom who falls in love with a Namibian man, based on the story 'Met 'n fiets deur die sneeu' by Mardaleen Derks. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Fiela se Kind A historical drama set in 1865 Southern Africa about a coloured woman who raises a white boy found on her doorstep, based on the novel by Dalene Matthee. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Stroomop An adventure drama following five women on an Orange River rafting trip who must survive in the wilderness after their guide is lost. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Thys & Trix An action comedy about two sibling police officers who must pretend to be a married couple to investigate a crime syndicate at a golf estate. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Meerkat Maantuig A fantasy adventure film about a young hypochondriac who must face her fears to break a family curse with the help of a friend and his moonship. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Amazon.
• Vuil Wasgoed A comedy thriller about two laundry workers who discover a severed finger in a client's suit and must evade dangerous criminals looking for it. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Vaselinetjie A drama about identity and race in post-Apartheid South Africa, following a white girl raised by her coloured grandparents who is sent to an orphanage in Johannesburg. Based on the novel by Anoeschka Von Meck. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Vir Altyd The highest-grossing Afrikaans feature film at the South African box office — a romance about a woman whose wedding day takes an unexpected turn when her childhood friend reappears. Theatrical release via Ster-Kinekor; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Pad na jou Hart A romantic drama about a businessman who must complete tasks during a journey to Cape Town, traveling with a free-spirited woman. Theatrical release in South Africa; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Bakgat! Trilogy The first Afrikaans film trilogy, following Wimpie Koekemoer's journey from high school rugby to university and immigration to England. Theatrical release in South Africa; streaming on Vimeo on Demand.
• Tips & Trix with Simoné and Francois A 12-episode lifestyle television series on kykNET's Groot Ontbyt providing braai tips, camping hacks, and holiday comfort advice, featuring Simoné Nortmann and Francois Jacobs. Co-produced with ATKV.
• Product Integration Services Product placement and marketing integration services allowing brands to be featured in The Film Factory's productions with maximized exposure across marketing platforms while maintaining story integrity and film realism.
• Film Investment Opportunities Investment partnership opportunities in South African film production, with 22+ films partially or fully funded by private investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vir Altyd is the highest-grossing Afrikaans feature film at the South African box office
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ATKV (ATKV-Resorts)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017ATKV (Akademie vir Christelike Televisie en Kultuur) partnered with The Film Factory to produce the television series Tips & Trix with Simoné and Francois. The 12-episode series, shot at ATKV-Klein Kariba over one week, aired on kykNET's Groot Ontbyt from June 2017. ATKV provided venue access and co-branded the series as a promotional vehicle for ATKV-Resorts holidays.
• kykNET / DStvcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorkykNET is a key broadcast partner and co-producer of The Film Factory's content. The channel hosted the Silwerskermfees festival where multiple The Film Factory productions premiered. kykNET also co-produced Vergeet My Nie as executive producer and broadcasts The Film Factory's television series such as Tips & Trix on Groot Ontbyt.
• Ster-Kinekor EntertainmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSter-Kinekor is the primary theatrical distribution partner for The Film Factory's feature films. The company handles nationwide cinema releases in South Africa, including high-profile releases such as Vir Altyd (the highest-grossing Afrikaans film) and Fiela se Kind.
• Bouwer Bosch FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on multiple films including Thys & Trix (produced with Leandie du Randt Bosch and Bouwer Bosch as producers), Vuil Wasgoed (with Bouwer Bosch Films and Bennie Boek Films), and Sy Klink Soos Lente. The two companies share production costs, creative direction, and distribution rights.
• Red Letter Day PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on Vaselinetjie, The Film Factory and Red Letter Day Pictures produced the feature film adaptation of Anoeschka Von Meck's celebrated novel, released in September 2017.
• Spier FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on Verraaiers (The Film Factory, Spier Films, Bosbok Ses Films, White Heron Pictures), contributing production resources and co-financing.
• Dark Matter StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on Bakgat! tot die mag 3, the third film in The Film Factory's Bakgat! trilogy.
• 17 FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on Stroomop (The Film Factory and 17 Films), which was released in August 2018 and starred Donnalee Roberts and Simoné Nortmann.
• Bosbok Ses FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner on Roepman (The Film Factory and Bosbok Ses Films) and Verraaiers (alongside Spier Films and White Heron Pictures).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Quizzical Pictures: Larger, established South African production house with a broader portfolio across feature film and high-end TV, often co-producing with public broadcasters — a comparable incumbent rather than a direct niche competitor.

Direct peers

• Word of Mouth Productions: Johannesburg-based independent producer of feature films including Afrikaans titles, with parallel theatrical and broadcast distribution channels that overlap with The Film Factory's release pattern.
• Ochre Moving Pictures: Long-established South African feature-film and series producer with similar theatrical and broadcast distribution patterns, including Afrikaans and English-language productions and festival-circuit releases. Highly comparable as a domestic film production peer.
• T.O.M. Pictures: South African production company producing commercial Afrikaans feature films for theatrical release and DStv/kykNET broadcast, directly comparable in target audience, funding model and release strategy.
• do Productions: South African feature-film and series producer releasing through major domestic cinema chains and broadcasters; comparable in project-based revenue, festival strategy and Afrikaans/English language mix.
• Penguin Films: South African production house producing Afrikaans and English feature films and television series for kykNET and Ster-Kinekor-style partners. Closely comparable in language mix, broadcast partnerships and theatrical release model.
• Film Afrika Worldwide: Major South African film and television producer with theatrical releases, broadcast partnerships and a portfolio that overlaps in genres, talent pipelines and domestic distribution channels.
• Red Letter Day Pictures: Direct co-production partner on Vaselinetjie; produces South African Afrikaans and English feature films released theatrically and via kykNET, making it a near-twin in catalog, language and release channels.

Regional players

• Triggerfish Animation Studios: Cape Town-based South African animation and feature-film studio with international co-production and streaming-platform deals (e.g., Netflix). Comparable as a regional African production peer with global ambitions, though in animation.

Others

• Ster-Kinekor Entertainment (content arm): Although primarily a distributor and exhibitor, Ster-Kinekor also invests in and produces local film content, providing a hybrid distribution-and-production reference point for vertical integration potential.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thefilmfactorysouthafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-film-factory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Film Factory