South Africa’s beautiful Mother City, Cape Town has become increasingly popular as a film location in recent years. The unmistakable Cape scenery can be seen as backdrops for advertisements, movies and television programs the world over.

It is becoming quite usual for local Capetonians to spot Hollywood stars out and about at the Cape’s luxury hotels, funky cocktail bars and cafes and even relaxing on the exquisite white beaches of the uber-trendy Atlantic Seaboard. Many feature films have been shot in Cape Town over the past years - most notably Lord of War (starring Nicolas Cage) which was released in late 2005.

On any given day, especially in the summer season (November to February) one can spot numerous sign boards for a range of production companies on location on the roads of the Cape.

Numerous local casting agencies and production houses have sprung up all over Cape Town. One of the big draw-cards for international film crews is the excellent and affordable local talent available for everything from feature length movies to clothing catalogues. Many of Cape Town’s men, women and children earn extra income by featuring in big and small productions being filmed in and around the city.

The exchange rate is favorable to most incoming production crews, which is another key motive for them choosing Cape Town as a location.

In addition many international passport holders are not required to obtain visas prior to entering South Africa, which means less paperwork and red tape for visiting production teams.

Cape Town offers a huge diversity of locations. From 5 star resorts and hotels and luxury beachfront mansions to bustling inner city streets; from majestic mountains to wide open beaches to shady forests – it’s all here. The cameramen who come to Cape Town always exclaim on the great natural light that bathes the city.

Many of the sites can also double as well-known but more expensive locations in other parts of the world.

There are also plenty of historical touches found in the variety of architecture and décor of certain quarters, as well as a rich cultural diversity which adds texture and color to many productions and shoots.

Submitted by: Francois L. Botha Francois specializes on Cape Town tourism. He has written many articles on Cape Town accommodation and car rental South Africa. For more tips visit his website.