President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday visited Project Panda, the title for Netflix’s live-action anime-series One Piece. The anime-series is currently being shot on location at the Cape Town Film Studios.
One Piece is Netflix’s biggest production project on the continent to date, covering South African labour, infrastructure, and suppliers. It is a live-action pirate adventure series based on one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
The series stars more than 50 South Africans and over 1 000 crew members. The Academy of Creative Excellence is also part of the shoot, where it plays the role of mentoring more than 30 young creatives.
Last year Netflix, which is the world’s leading global streaming service, committed R5.5-million to support black creatives in the film and television industry.
A statement released by the Presidency reads: “The Netflix Black Creatives Empowerment Fund will be implemented in a two-pronged approach. The first being a grant of around R1.4-million to the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, and the second of more than R4-million designated for fully funded scholarships and student debt relief at higher education institutions in South Africa.”
Ramaphosa was expected to take an hour-long interactive tour that will include visual effects, stunt demonstrations, and discussions with trainees.
“The aim is to give president Ramaphosa a deeper understanding of the impact of Netflix’s investments in the creative industries and adjacent industries, including tourism, small business, and supply chain economies.”
The visit by the President allows Netflix, as the world’s leading global streaming service, and its local partners Film Afrika to showcase the Project Panda production and its contribution to South Africa's creative industry. #InvestSA 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/OYFNHQP0NV
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) March 17, 2022
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