Spain Secures €25 Million South African Investment to Boost Audiovisual Hub
Spain has launched a 25-million-euro public-private partnership with South African firms to establish new film production and post-production facilities, aiming to solidify the country's position as a global audiovisual hub.
Spain’s goal of becoming a global film production hub has received a major boost with a new partnership involving South African investment. The Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function announced a 25-million-euro project, with 12.7 million provided by the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT). This public-private partnership is part of the "Spain Audiovisual Hub" plan and marks the largest entry of South African firms into the Spanish creative sector to date.
The initiative is led by the Known Associates Group (KAG), headed by Tshepiso and Joel Chikapa-Phiri, with investment support from Sinobukhosi, led by Luleka Masinda. The project focuses on two main areas:
First, 18 million euros—including 8.8 million in public funding—will establish "Moonlighting Studios Spain" in Madrid. The parent company, known for its work on major international films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Mufasa, aims to use this new center to develop intellectual property and produce a dozen feature films and documentaries.
Second, 8 million euros—with 3.9 million from the SETT—will fund a post-production network called "The Refinery." These studios will be located in the Canary Islands and the Basque Country. By decentralizing these services, the government hopes to keep post-production work within Spain, allowing local teams to maintain more control over the creative process and economic management rather than outsourcing technical tasks abroad.
This move comes as Spain works to compete with other European markets for film production and digital services. By partnering with KAG, which handles everything from financing to distribution, and securing capital from Sinobukhosi, the government aims to attract international partners that bring both funding and global distribution networks. Ultimately, the Ministry hopes to complete the audiovisual value chain by linking these new international headquarters with Spain’s existing industrial infrastructure.