Peter Church arguably owns South Africa’s most sought-after lawn. It has been getting professional cuts and trims for a decade by one of the world’s top lawnmower companies to advertise its latest machines. The lawn is famous in Europe where it appears in glossy lawnmower adverts.
The downside is that for several weeks before the mowers arrive, Church has to let his garden go to pot, weeds included, so that the professionals can showcase their tools.
“They feel a bit like family,” he says of the photographers and technicians who descend on his picturesque home in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. “We see the modern tools, and they give our grass a cut and trees a trim with the latest technology, which has been fantastic.”
The city is the epicentre of a trend in which homes with unusual or striking features are used as locations for film and photoshoots — at a cost of up to R70,000 a day.
Church’s family can continue their lives largely uninterrupted, while enjoying a window view of a world-class industry that is generating jobs in support services across the country. “We enjoy the fact that we are supporting an industry that is doing so much good for the economy — and it leaves us with a great-looking lawn ... at least for a while.”
On the other side of the city, German entrepreneur Andre Kanya is generating significant interest in his ’80s luxury, retro-style property Magnum Villa. His signature attraction is a giant 2.2m rotating teddy bear sculpture that lights up in neon colours.
His plan is to use it for both short-term rental and movie shoots and he is listed with an agent for film shoots.
“For me, this whole thing is not a financial investment. I just like the house bringing people together and I would love it if a cool film was shot there,” said Kanya, who manages a contemporary art gallery in Ntabozuko.
“Surrounding myself with artwork that reflects my personality is important to me. Cape Town is a colourful and exciting place, and I want my home to reflect that.”
Cape Town hosts almost 10,000 film productions annually, with properties earning daily rentals of R10,000-R70,000
— Julia Finnis-Bedford, founder of Amazing Spaces
The teddy bear installation reflected his perception of Cape Town society as fun-loving, friendly and focused on the outdoors. “The lifestyle is completely different to Europe, and I felt like I wanted to add art to the house but to do it in a fun way.”
Kanya named his property Magnum Villa as a nod to one of his favourite childhood TV shows, Magnum PI.
Cape Town hosts almost 10,000 film productions annually, with properties earning daily rentals of R10,000 to R70,000, said Julia Finnis-Bedford, founder and MD of Amazing Spaces, which sources prime locations for the film sector.
“You still get to live there and appreciate your home while earning income at the same time — it makes it way more attractive than Airbnb,” said Finnis-Bedford. “We get sent locations all the time but we do sometimes seek out various architectural features, like a well-done Moroccan (style) house.”
South Africa’s geographic and cultural diversity makes the country an attractive film location proposition, with “the whole world in one”, said Finnis-Bedford.
“If you’re shooting in the (KwaZulu-Natal) Midlands, it can look like the hills of Scotland. When you see the movie you can’t believe it’s the Midlands — they are very clever like that,” she said.
The films and TV series now in production include:
- TV mini-series Escaping Bolivia;
- Local TV series Fatal Seduction, shot partly at Buitenverwachting wine farm;
- Local TV series Kings of Joburg shot at Pam Golding’s Monterey head office in Bishopscourt; and
- Local movie Black Burns Fast, shot at Rustenburg High School.
Constantia venue Longvale Manor will soon host a list of celebrities including Oscar-winning Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Haley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus), Michael Peña (The Martian), Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz (Joker), and Bafta winner Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) in the filming of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.
Monterey will be the backdrop for an upcoming black comedy thriller, Huntington, written and directed by John Patton Ford and starring Glen Powell along with Margaret Qualley and Ed Harris.
“The most famous Cape Town film location is The Midden in Constantia, which was the setting for Black Mirror starring Miley Cyrus, Love Island UK and Kissing Booth starring Joey King,” according to Amazing Places.
“The film Morning After is set at The Midden Cottage next door. Since listing with Amazing Spaces in 2018, The Midden gets about 20 shoot days a year.”
The distinctive quality of South African light, long summer days and low costs relative to other global film locations are attractive to filmmakers.
About 90% of commercial shoots take place in the Western Cape, due largely to the proximity of diverse locations and good infrastructure, said Whitehead.
Other iconic locations include the 122-year-old, 20-room Trovato House in Wynberg, built by a mining magnate and used in a range of Hollywood movies including Home Alone 4. It also played host to South Africa’s first horror movie.
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