We need your help! South African actors are facing a dire situation that threatens our very livelihoods. Issues underlying the strike of 160 000 actors in the US have made their way into contracts South African actors are coerced into signing, stripping us of our rights and leaving us powerless to defend ourselves. If left unchallenged, the long-lasting consequences for local actors will be disastrous.

Producers seek the right to  capture and digitise the image, likeness, and voice of each actor for their exclusive future use in any medium, in perpetuity, and without any further compensation. This means that actors will lose control over their own identities and any future revenue that may come from their work.

Furthermore, the contracts prohibit actors’ membership of any organisation, union, or guild that engages in collective bargaining, denying our constitutional right to freedom of association. Adding insult to injury they aim circumvent provisions of the Copyright Amendment Bill and Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill – currently being processed by Parliament – stripping actors of any future moral and economic rights.  

In addition, producers are entitled to declare force majeure if the production fails to secure grant payments from the Dept. of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), and thereby withhold any performance fees due to the actor. This puts the actors in a vulnerable position, as we have no control over the grant application process.

We urge you to sign our petition in support of South African actors as we claim the right to shape our own destinies. Let's stand together and  appeal for an urgent intervention by the Departments of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC); Employment and Labour (DEL); the International Labour Organisation (ILO); and the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

We deserve the right to negotiate through collective bargaining to secure fair contract terms that honour our craft and value our contributions. We demand to be treated with respect as we break free from the shackles of servitude and stand united against those who prioritise profits over the livelihoods of the very artists who breathe life into their productions.

Streaming platforms that unilaterally draft contracts that secure maximum profits for themselves at the expense of actors’ livelihoods.

As a signatory to this petition, I stand in solidarity with South African actors, and appeal for an urgent intervention by the Departments of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC); Employment and Labour (DEL); the International Labour Organisation (ILO); and the Human Rights Commission (HRC).