On November 10, 2025, the Department of Home Affairs published a notice in the official government gazette, inviting expressions of interest in the new Screen Talent and Global Entertainment Scheme (STAGES).
STAGES, announced in the budget vote speech by the Minister of Home Affairs on July 8, 2025 along with MEETS (Meetings, Events, Exhibitions and Tourism Scheme), aims to provide trusted film industry partners with access to a simplified procedure to assist their member companies with obtaining visas for film crews. Organizations will be able to apply via a dedicated online portal, receive visa decisions within hours, and will no longer be required to visit missions in-person abroad.
To qualify for membership in the STAGES, a federation or organization needs to demonstrate that it adheres to the regulatory requirements in the business sector and that it has relevant experience in facilitating film productions. The selection criteria are listed in detail in the notice.
Federations, Organizations and Associations concerned with facilitating film production companies, who meet the selection criteria, and who are interested in being considered for admission to the STAGES, should submit their Expression of Interest Form and supporting documents using the STAGES link here.
Applications must be submitted in English and must contain all information specified in the selection criteria, supported with a portfolio of evidence, as well as the documents mentioned in the digital application form.
The closing date is 30 calendar days from the date of publication of the notice. Applications received after the closing date of this Notice will not be considered.
The scored results will be assessed and validated by an Inter-Departmental Committee which will make recommendations to the Minister of Home Affairs, who will take the final decision on the application.
The Department of Home Affairs will communicate the final decision on the application to the applicant within 30 working days from the closing date of the notice.
Federations, Organizations or Associations that are approved for admission to the scheme will be required to pay a processing fee of ZAR 1,520 per submission of a group of 1 to 25 digital visa applications on the STAGES platform.
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