2 2 | region al spotlight
All images © www.stockfreeimages.com
AFRICA
On the Move
Tanzania
T
he word’s eyes are currently on Africa. According to The Economist, Africa’s average GDP growth is moving along at about 6% despite the economic downturn. Strong growth over the last decade has made Africa the world’s second fastest growing region, after Asia, with international trade with Africa growing by 200% between 2000 and 2011. The International Monetary Fund predicts that African continent will have the world’s fastest-growing economy over the next five years, with seven of the world’s 10 fastest growing countries expected to be African: Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia.
The biggest driver of any film industry is economic growth, so this bodes well for the continent’s film sector. Africa also offers a comparatively untapped potential audience of just under a billion people. Nigeria is already making well-over 2 000 films a year -- more than Hollywood. For now, as the continent’s largest economy, South Africa, is perceived as the gateway to Africa as a service destination, with a strong reputation for high-end infrastructure and professional crew. However, strong service industries also exist in Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, and Morocco. Filming in Africa is not new -- it’s been going on for almost as long as Hollywood has existed. Kenya