The net is closing in for rogue agencies. This as production houses distanced themselves from dodgy agencies and promised to intervene if need be.
Sunday World can reveal that hundreds of background actors remain unpaid. The non-payment dates as far back as 2021.
Sunday World can further reveal that background actors who worked on Queendom, Pound 4 Pound, Skeem Sam, Muvhango, Isiphetho, Kings of Africa, My Brother’s Keeper, and Bachelor, to name a few, are still not paid.
Scores of TV actors not paid, some paid only half
Those who were paid did not get all their money.
Isiphetho producer and renowned television director Mandla Ngcongwane said he is aware of the challenges faced by background actors
“It’s true that some of these agencies do not pay background actors. We don’t support this but there’s nothing we can do. Mainly because these background actors have contracts with these agencies. But when we receive those complaints, we intervene. We’ve already fired more than 10 agencies for the same problem,” said Ngcongwane.
“We also vet these agencies to make sure they are reputable and that they can do the job. As Black Brain, we are also in the business of unearthing new black businesses in the industry. We need diversity in this industry. And we cannot have the same agencies getting jobs over and over again. We need development and growth, but unfortunately, most new agencies are letting us down. They’d start off nicely and pay background actors, only to rob them in the end,” he continued.
Producers planning a workshop for casting agencies
He said they are planning to host workshops for agencies.
“Our people need training on how to handle this kind of business and how to handle finances. Otherwise the industry will forever be monopolised,” he said.
Skeem Sam’s publicist, Sumaya Mogoloa, said: “We make sure to always use agencies, in the hopes that they would pay their artists timeously. And we certainly do not stand with those that don’t. If that ever were the case, we would have to intervene. The last thing we would want is for our artists to be or work while feeling dissatisfied.”
Actor and Chairman of South African Guild of Actors (Saga) Jack Devnarain said that producers who insist on engaging rogue agents are complicit in the gross exploitation of talent.
Actors’ guild blames complicit producers
“Nobody in 2025 can claim ignorance of a company’s bona fides. Such information is freely available. So, one can only presume that the producer is aware of the agent’s unscrupulous activities. Or conversely, that they are an incompetent producer that has no place in the professional industry,” said Devnarain.
“We are also aware that producers work with rogue agents to intentionally stifle fair earnings for background actors so producers can save better margins on their production budgets. In an unregulated industry such as the creative sector, this practice should be investigated by the Competition Commission for price fixing and collusion.
“Secondly, producers and rogue agencies have provided the case studies that are needed to bring the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) into the conversation. The industry cannot continue on this course of open abuse and shameless exploitation of talent.”
Plans to rope in Department of Labour
He said that they will be working with DEL and the media to ensure that the industry is transformed.
“While organisations like Saga and Sabag have raised this issue with government several times, the examples set by abusive producers and rogue agents speak with far more eloquence than can be contained in an email.
“Basically they have proven our case for industry regulation. We will now be working with the DEL to build the foundations for regulation. And we will work with the media in exposing producers and broadcasters for their intransigence and refusal to shut down rogue agents,” said Devnarain.
